AGRIkDEPL 


Lib. 

A«rf«  Dent 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULT 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  CONVENTION 


FOR  THE 


SUPPRESSION  OF  INSECT  PESTS  AND  PLANT 
DISEASES  BY  LEGISLATION, 

HELD  AT  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  MARCH  5  AND  6,  1897. 


EDITED  BY  B.  T.  GALLOWAY. 


WASHINGTON: 

G-OVKRNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE. 

1897. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  CONVENTION 


FOR   THE 


SUPPRESSION  OF  INSECT  PESTS  AND  PLANT 
DISEASES  BY  LEGISLATION, 

HELD  AT  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  MARCH  5  AND  6,  1897. 


EDITED  BY  B.  T.  GALLOWAY. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE. 

1897. 


N/s 


lib. 
Dept. 


LETTER  OF  SUBMITTAL 


DOVER,  DEL.,  July  1, 1897. 

SIR  :  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  herewith  the  report  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  National  Convention  for  the  Suppression  of  Insect  Pests 
and  Plant  Diseases  by  Legislation,  held  in  the  city  of  Washington, 
March  5  and  6,  1897.  In  accordance  with  a  request  made  by  the  con- 
vention, it  was  agreed  that  your  Department  would  publish  the  pro- 
ceedings, providing  one  of  its  officers  edit  them.  This  work  was  duly 
performed,  under  the  direction  of  the  special  agent  in  charge  of  scien- 
tific investigations,  by  Mr.  B.  T.  Galloway,  Chief  of  the  Division  of 
Vegetable  Physiology  and  Pathology,  and  with  the  assistance  of  the 
divisions  of  the  Department  having  charge  of  the  lines  of  work  touched 
upon.  The  conditions  of  its  publication  by  the  Department  having 
thus,  I  believe,  been  fully  and  satisfactorily  complied  with,  I  have  the 
honor  to  invite  the  publication  of  the  report  as  agreed,  and  at  the  same 
time  on  behalf  of  the  convention  to  tender  to  you  its  thanks  for  this 
courtesy. 

Respectfully,  WESLEY  WEBB, 

Secretary  of  the  Convention. 

Hon.  JAMES  WILSON, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


In  accordance  with  the  agreement  as  stated  above,  the  publication 
of  these  proceedings  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture  is  hereby 
authorized. 

JAMES  WILSON, 

Secretary. 


r 
ss 


CONTENTS. 


Morning  session,  Friday,  March  5,  1897:  Page. 

Call  for  the  convention 5 

Committee  on  credentials 5 

Committee  on  permanent  organization 6 

Report  of  committee  on  credentials 6 

List  of  delegates 6 

Report  of  commi ttee  on  permanent  organization 7 

Officers 7 

Order  of  business 7 

Rules 7 

Committee  on  resolutions 7 

Committee  on  legislation 8 

Plant  diseases  and  the  possibility  of  lessening  their  spread  by  legislation .  8 

The  desirability  of  an  inspection  system  against  foreign  insects 11 

The  inspection  of  trees,  plants,  fruit,  etc.,  as  conducted  under  the  laws 

in  California 12 

Crop  pests  and  their  repression  by  law 19 

Afternoon  session,  Friday,  March  5,  1897: 

Drafts  of  bills  covering  State,  interstate,  and  international  legislation.  21 
Committee  to  invite  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  to  address  the  con- 
vention    21 

Evening  session,  Friday,  March  5, 1897: 

Resolutions  relative  to  the  extermination  of  gypsy  moth 21 

Resolution  to  make  committee   on  legislation  permanent  until  next 

meeting 21 

Resolution  relative  to  adjournment 22 

Morning  session,  Saturday,  March  6,  1897: 

Resolutions  relative  to  State  legislation  against  insect  and  fungous  pests.  2? 
Discussion  of  bill  relating  to  interstate  and  international  legislation 

against  insect  and  fungous  pests 22 

Bill  relating  to  interstate  and  international  legislation  against  insect 

and  fungous  pests 29 

Session  of  the  permanent  legislative  committee: 

Executive  committee _. 31 

3 


QOOQ.^Q 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  CONVENTION  FOR  THE 
SUPPRESSION  OF  INSECT  PESTS  AND  PLANT  DISEASES  BY 
LEGISLATION. 


MORNING  SESSION,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  5,  1897. 

The  delegates  present  met  in  the  parlors  of  the  Ebbitt  House  at  10 
a.  m.  March  5.  Mr.  E.  H.  Cushman,  president  of  the  Ohio  State  Hor- 
ticultural Society,  called  the  convention  to  order  and  then  read  the  fol- 
lowing printed  notice,  addressed  to  horticultural  and  agricultural 
societies,  State  experiment  stations,  and  kindred  institutions  and 
organizations: 

CALL  FOR  THE  CONVENTION. 

A  call  for  a  national  convention  to  consider  and  recommend  the  most  appropriate  Federal 
and  State  legislation  for  preventing  the  introduction  or  diffusion  of  noxious  insects  and 
fungi  in  the  United  States. 

At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  Ohio  State  Horticultural  Society  in  February,  1896, 
the  following  resolution  was  adopted  by  a  unanimous  vote: 

Resolved,  That  the  secretary  be  requested  to  correspond  with  the  secretaries  of  all 
the  other  State  horticultural  societies  and  request  them  to  bring  before  their  societies 
the  question  as  to  the  propriety  of  the  appointment  of  delegates  to  a  national  con- 
vention for  the  purpose  of  considering  means  of  preventing  the  spread  of  noxious 
insects  and  fungous  diseases  by  appropriate  State  and  Federal  legislation. 

Several  efforts  have  been  made  and  are  being  put  forth  in  various  parts  of  the 
United  States  indicating  the  desirability  of  some  united  effort  being  made  in  this 
direction,  and  the  rapidity  with  which  these  pests  of  our  orchards  and  fields  are 
increasing  renders  prompt  and  efficient  legislation  looking  toward  their  suppres- 
sion or  control  most  imperative  and  absolutely  essential  to  success  in  horticul- 
tural and  agricultural  pursuits.  The  number  of  favorable  replies  received  to  the 
circulars  sent  out  by  the  secretary  justifies  the  society  in  calling  a  national 
convention. 

In  view  of  the  foregoing  facts  the  Ohio  State  Horticultural  Society  invites  all 
horticultural  and  agricultural  societies,  experiment  stations,  and  kindred  organiza- 
tions to  send  delegates  to  meet  in  convention  at  the  Ebbitt  House,  in  Washington, 
D.  C.,  at  10  a.  m.  March  5,  1897,  to  consider  the  best  measures  to  be  taken  in  secur- 
ing such  national  legislation  and  supplementary  uniform  State  legislation  as  may 
be  necessary  to  prevent  the  dissemination  of  noxious  insects  and  fungi  and  prevent 
their  introduction  into  the  United  States  from  other  countries. 

All  persons  interested  are  invited  to  attend. 

E.  H.  CUSHMAN,  President. 
W.  W.  FARNSWORTH,  Secretary. 
5 


6  SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

After  the  reading  of  the  notice  the  chair  appointed  the  following' 

committees : 

COMMITTEE  ON  CREDENTIALS. 

E.  S.  Goff,  Wisconsin. 

F.  M.  Webster,  Ohio. 

M.  J.  Daniels,  California. 

COMMITTEE  ON  PERMANENT  ORGANIZATION. 

W.  I).  Alwood,  Virginia. 
R.  S.  Emory,  Maryland. 
E.  M.  Wardell,  California. 

REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  CREDENTIALS. 

The  committee  on  credentials  reported  the  following  delegates  pres 
cut  and  entitled  to  seats  in  the  convention: 

List  of  delegates. 

Alwood,  W.  B.,  Va.  Exp.  Sta.  and  State  Hort.  Soc.,  Blacksburg,  Vtt. 

Bachelder,  N.  J.,  Secretary  State  Board  of  Agr.,  Concord,  N.  H. 

Baker,  J.  W.,  Tenn.  Dept.  of  Agr.,  Nashville,  Term. 

Barry,  W.  C.,  Pres.  Western  N.  Y.  Hort.  Soc.  and  Pres.  Eastern  Nurserymen's 
Association,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Beach,  S.  A.,  N.  Y.  State  Exp.  Sta.,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 

Bissell,  E.  H.,  Richmond,  Va. 

Brighain,  J.  H.,  Master  National  Grange,  Delta,  Ohio. 

Brown,  J.  F..  Vice  Pres.  State  Board  of  Agr.,  North  Stonington,  Conn. 

Chamberlain,  S.  E.,  Pres.  Catoctin  Farmers'  Club,  Loudon  Co.,  Va. 

Cushinan,  E.  H.,  Pres.  Ohio  Hort.  Soc.,  Euclid,  Ohio. 

Daniels,  M.  J.,  State  Board  of  Hort.,  Riverside,  Cal. 

Denise,  D.  Demarest,  Pres.  State  Board  of  Agr.,  Freehold,  N.  J. 

Derby,  Samuel  H.,  Peninsula  Hort.  Soc.,  Woodside,  Del. 

Emory,  R.  S.,  Peninsula  Hort.  Soc.,  Chestertown.  Md. 

Evans,  Walter  H.,  Office  of  Experiment  Stations,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agr.,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 

Farnsworth,  W.  W.,  Secretary  State  Hort.  Soc.,  Watervilie,  Ohio. 

Galloway,  B.  T.,  Pathologist  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agr.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Garman,  H.,  Ky.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  and  State  Hort.  Soc.,  Lexington,  Ky. 

Goff,  E.  S.,  Wis.  Exp.  Sta.  and  State  Hort.  Soc.,  Madison,  Wis. 

Gulick,  Robt.,  Farmers'  Alliance,  Linkwood,  Md. 

Hale,  J.  II.,  Pres.  Conn.  Pomological  Soc.,  South  Glastonbury,  Conn. 

Ileiges,  S.  B.,  Pomologist  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agr.  and  Pres.  Pa.  Hort.  Soc.,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

Henry,  E.  S.,  Board  of  Agr.,  Conn. 

Ilobbs,  C.  M.,  Ind.  Hort.  Soc.,  Bridgeport,  Ind. 

Hooker,  C.  M.,  Western  N.  Y.  Hort.  Soc.,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Howard,  L.  O.,  Entomologist  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agr.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Johnson,  W.  G.,  State  Entomologist  of  Maryland,  College  Park,  Md. 

King,  W.  M.,  Va.  State  Grange,  Glencarlyn,  Va. 

Lowe,  V.  H.,  Entomologist  State  Exp.  Sta.,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 

Lugger,  Otto,  Minn.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  and  State  Hort.  Soc.,  St.  Anthony  Park,  Minn. 

Lupton,  S.  L.,  Fruit  Growers'  Association,  Winchester,  Va. 

McCarthy,  Gerald,  Secretary  N.  C.  Hort.  Soc.,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.  7 

McLachlan,  James,  Board  of  Hort.  Com.,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Miller,  W.  W.,  Secretary  State  Board  of  Agr.,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

Powell,  G.  Harold,  Del.  Exp.  Sta.,  Newark,  Del. 

Sessions,  Win.  R.,  Secretary  State  Board  of  Agr.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Slingerland,  M.  V.,  Cornell  University  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Snow,  H.  K.,  Tustin  Fruit  Growers'  Association,  Tustin,  Cal. 

Taylor,  Win.  A.,  Mich.  Hort.  Soc.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Van  Denian,  H.  E.,  Pres.  Peninsula  Hort.  Soc.,  Parksley,  Va. 

Van  Lindley,  J.,  Pres.  N.  C.  Hort.  Soc.,  Pomona,  N.  C. 

Waite,  M.  B.,'Div.  Veg.  Phys.  and  Path.,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agr.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Wardell,  E.  M.,  State  Board  of  Hort.,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Webb,  Wesley,  Del.  Farmers'  Institute  and  Secretary  Peninsula  Hort.  Soc.,  Dover, 
Del. 

Webber,  H.  J.,  Div.  Veg.  Phys.  and  Path.,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agr.,  Subtropical  Labora- 
tory, Eustis,  Fla. 

Webster,  F.  M.,  Entomologist  Ohio  Exp.  Sta.,  Wooster,  Ohio. 

The  report  of  the  committee  oil  credentials  was  adopted 
REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  PERMANENT  ORGANIZATION. 

The  report  of  the  committee  on  permanent  organization  was  then 
made  and  adopted,  as  follows: 

Officers. 

Chairman,  E.  H.  Oushman,  Ohio. 

Vice  chairman,  J.  H.  Hale,  Connecticut. 

(  Wesley  Webb,  Delaware. 
Secretaries,  <  ,T   T  -1      .  .    '     .... 

'  (  M.  J.  Daniels,  California. 

Sergeant-at-arins,  Robert  Gulick,  Maryland. 
Order  of  business. 

(1)  Appointment  of  committees. 

(2)  Beading  of  papers. 

(3)  Discussion  of  papers. 

(4)  Eeports  of  committees. 

Rules. 

(1)  That  all  resolutions  or  proposed  laws  be  referred  to  the  appro- 
priate committee  without  debate. 

(2)  That  there  be  a  committee  of  five  on  resolutions  and  a  committee 
of  ten  on  legislation. 

The  committees  were  then  named,  as  follows : 

COMMITTEE  ON  RESOLUTIONS. 

W.  C.  Barry,  New  York. 

IS.  J.  Bach  elder,  New  Hampshire. 

C.  M.  Hobbs,  Indiana. 

E.  M.  Wardell,  California. 

J.  H.  Hale,  Connecticut. 


8  SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DlSKASKtt. 

COMMITTEE  ON  LEGISLATION. 

W.  B.  Alwood,  Virginia. 

C.  M.  Hooker,  New  York. 

J.  Van  Lindley,  North  Carolina, 

E.  M.  Wardell,  California. 

N.  J.  Bachelder,  New  Hampshire. 

D.  Demarest  Denise,  New  Jersey. 

E.  S.  Henry,  Connecticut. 
C.  M.  Hobbs,  Indiana. 

E.  S.  Goff,  Wisconsin. 

F.  M.  Webster,  Ohio. 

The  presiding  officer  next  called  for  the  reading  of  papers.  The  first, 
by  Mr.  B.  T.  Galloway,  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Vegetable  Physiology 
and  Pathology,  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  was  as 
follows : 

PLANT  DISEASES  AND  THE  POSSIBILITY  OF  LESSENING  THEIR  SPREAD  BY 

LEGISLATION. 

It  needs  little  argument  to  prove  that  the  enemies  of  cultivated  plants  are 
steadily  increasing,  and  I  think  it  can  be  easily  shown  that  they  will  continue  to 
increase  so  long  as  the  conditions,  for  which  we  are  in  large  part  responsible,  remain 
as  they  are  at  present.  I  do  not  by  any  means  regard  this  as  a  calamity.  On  the 
contrary,  I  look  upon  the  fact  that  our  insect  and  fungous  foes  are  increasing  as 
direct  proof  that  we  are  progressing,  for,  as  Professor  Bailey  has  said,  "  Oar  enemies 
increase  because  cultivation  induces  change  of  habits  in  wild  organisms;  because 
it  presents  an  ever-increasing  variety  of  food,  or  host  plants;  because  the  food  sup- 
ply is  large  and  in  more  or  less  continuous  areas ;  and  finally,  because  the  natural 
equilibrium,  or  tension,  is  destroyed."  It  follows,  therefore,  that  the  more  we  put 
forth  our  energies  to  improve  our  native  plants  or  to  change  their  habits ;  the  more 
we  endeavor  to  increase  the  variety  and  number  of  our  cultivated  vines,  trees,  and 
shrubs ;  the  more  we  extend  our  orchards,  our  vineyards,  and  our  fields,  just  so  much 
more  do  we  disturb  the  equilibrium  in  nature,  and  just  so  much  more  must  we 
expect  to  burden  ourselves  with  the  work  of  maintaining  this  unstable  condition 
by  more  or  less  artificial  means.  Where  an  insect  or  fungus  had  one  chance  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  to  wax  strong  and  spread,  it  has  now  a  thousand  chances,  for  unbroken 
orchards  and  vineyards  and  millions  of  nursery  trees  cover  the  country  where  then 
only  wild  plants  grew. 

It  is  but  natural,  then,  that  man,  seeing  the  onward  march  of  his  enemies,  should 
look  about  him  and  wonder  how  it  will  all  end,  and  how  he,  as  an  individual,  is  to 
obtain  relief.  In  many  cases  he  has  found  a  way  of  doing  this  by  adopting  certain 
more  or  less  empirical  methods.  Again,  with  a  fuller  appreciation  of  the  funda- 
mental principles  underlying  plant  growth,  he  has  learned,  partly  by  intuition,  to 
keep  his  plants  in  health,  and  when  he  has  reached  this  stage  he  stands  far  in  advance 
of  his  neighbor  who  waits  until  his  plants  are  diseased  and  then  begins  to  look  about 
for  a  spraying  apparatus.  It  frequently  follows,  however,  that  with  all  his  efforts 
he  is  not  able  to  help  himself,  and  then,  in  accordance  with  what  he  considers  his 
privilege,  he  appeals  to  the  State,  believing,  or  at  least  hoping,  that  by  legislation 
he  can  even  up  matters  to  the  advantage  of  himself  and  the  detriment  of  his  foes. 

In  answer  to  such  appeals  a  number  of  State  laws  have  been  enacted.  Some  of 
these  have  been  partly  satisfactory,  but  none  have  served  fully  the  object  for  which 
the;/  were  intended.  This  is  nothing  more  than  might  have  been  expected,  seeing 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT   DISEASES. 

the  widely  divergent  interests  of  the  different  States,  the  lack  of  anything  like 
cooperation,  and  the  fact  that  public  sentiment  in  many  cases  is  indifferent  or  unfa- 
vorable toward  such  laws,  thus  making  proper  enforcement  impracticable. 

I  take  it  that  one  of  the  principal  objects  of  this  convention  is  to  consider  these 
matters,  and,  after  hearing  as  many  sides  to  the  question  as  possible,  to  take  some 
action  which  will  at  least  lead  to  a  better  understanding  of  what  can  or  can  not  be 
done.  Let  us,  then,  consider  for  a  moment  the  nature  of  some  of  the  more  common 
and  destructive  plant  diseases,  for  it  is  only  in  the  possession  of  such  knowledge  that 
we  can  intelligently  discuss  the  problems  relating  to  legislation. 

So  far  as  we  are  at  present  concerned,  the  diseases  of  plants  may  be  divided  into 
two  principal  groups,  namely,  those  due  to  organized  beings,  such  as  insects  and 
fungi,  and  those  in  which  organisms  take  no  direct  part,  as,  for  example,  improper 
conditions  of  the  soil,  such  as  too  much  or  too  little  water;  unfavorable  atmospheric 
influences;  and  the  presence  of  poisonous  substances  in  the  soil,  air,  etc.  In  this 
paper  we  are  not  particularly  concerned  with  the  insect  pests,  as  they  will  doubtless 
receive  full  consideration  from  others  present. 

No  hard  and  fast  lines  can  be  drawn  between  the  diseases  due  to  fungi  and  those 
brought  on  by  unfavorable  environment.  Many,  if  not  all,  fungous  diseases  are 
greatly  influenced  by  environment — just  as  much  so  as  the  hosts  themselves.  In 
many  cases  we  find  that  a  plant  grown  with  success  in  a  certain  region  succumbs  to 
disease  when  transferred  to  another  where  the  conditions  are  such  as  to  make  it  nec- 
essary for  the  plant  to  adapt  itself  to  the  new  requirements.  During  the  process  of 
adaptation  fungi  may  find  opportunity,  and  the  host  once  infected  it  may  be  only  a 
question  of  time  when  it  is  forced  to  succumb.  In  such  cases  it  would  be  obviously 
unjust  to  hold  the  man  who  grew  the  trees  responsible.  It  was  not  his  fault  that 
the  conditions  under  which  the  purchaser  planted  the  trees  were  different  from  those 
nature  furnished  him  to  grow  them. 

A  case  in  point  will  more  clearly  illustrate  this  matter.  Suppose  I  purchase  a  thou- 
sand apple  trees  from  a  nurseryman  and  plant  them  in  what  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses is  a  suitable  piece  of  ground.  This  ground  may  have  recently  been  cleared, 
and  in  addition  to  the  remains  of  roots  of  certain  forest  trees,  the  soil  may  be  slightly 
wetter  than  that  of  the  nursery.  The  decaying  roots  of  the  forest  trees  in  the  soil 
may  contain  the  mycelium  of  a  fungus,  which  under  ordinary  conditions  would  not 
attack  a  healthy  apple  root.  Owing  to  the  slight  additional  wetness,  however,  and 
the  consequent  lack  of  aeration,  some  of  the  apple  roots  in  time  will  be  asphyxiated, 
or  will  be  injured  in  other  ways,  the  details  of  which  need  not  be  given  here.  While 
the  roots  may  be  only  slightly  injured,  they  nevertheless  in  this  condition  become 
readily  susceptible  to  the  attacks  of  the  fungus  already  in  the  soil,  and  the  disease 
once  started  all  the  roots  may  eventually  be  killed,  and  the  tree  will  die.  Hundreds 
of  trees  may  be  killed  in  this  or  some  similar  way,  and  yet  from  the  very  nature  of 
the  trouble,  the  delicate  questions  involved,  and  the  complications  that  may  arise, 
no  man  could  positively  assert  where  the  blame  rests. 

We  are  by  no  means  holding  the  nurseryman  up  as  a  paragon  of  honesty,  but  we 
do  wish  to  give  him  fair  play,  for  he  is  unquestionably  often  blamed  for  things  for 
which  he  is  not  in  the  least  responsible. 

Again,  there  is  a  vast  number  of  fungous  diseases  which  are  almost  as  universally 
distributed  as  the  host  plants  themselves.  They  occur  not  only  on  the  cultivated 
forms,  but  in  the  woods  and  wild  places,  whence  they  doubtless  originally  came. 
Such  is  black  rot,  downy  mildew,  and  powdery  mildew  of  the  grape;  apple  scab 
and  rust;  and  a  host  of  other  maladies.  It  would  be  manifestly  as  impossible  to 
control  such  enemies  by  legislation  as  it  would  be  to  control  the  dust  of  the  air  or 
the  wind  that  wafts  it  from  place  to  place.  Furthermore,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  a  great  many — in  fact  the  majority— of  the  most  destructive  diseases  which  affect 
nursery  stock  are  of  such  a  nature  that  no  reliable  system  of  inspection  can  be  car- 
ried out.  Such  being  the  case,  we  are  free  to  say  that  in  most  cases  the  certificates 
that  are  given  declaring  trees  to  be  free  from  disease  are  little  better  than  worthless. 


10        SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

Ten  thousand  peach  trees  may  be  shipped  into  a  State,  and  so  far  as  any  one  can 
determine  they  may  be  perfectly  healthy.  Notwithstanding  this,  50  per  cent  or  more 
of  the  trees  may  be  infected  with  yellows,  and  what  is  more,  the  malady  may  not 
develop  for  a  year  after  the  trees  have  been  planted.  What  is  true  of  peach  yellows 
is  true  of  many  other  diseases,  particularly  those  where  the  leaves  alone  are  the  parts 
attacked. 

Without  further  argument,  therefore,  it  may  be  said  that  any  general  laws  looking 
toward  the  control  of  nursery  stock  are  likely  to  prove  impracticable,  first,  because 
the  nature  of  the  diseases  is  such  as  to  render  proper  inspection  exceedingly  difficult', 
if  not  impossible,  and  second,  no  one  with  any  regard  for  scientific  truth  or  accu- 
racy would  care  to  risk  his  reputation  in  giving  an  opinion  where  so  many  compli- 
cations are  involved. 

Of  course  there  may  be  special  cases  where  laws  Avould  be  an  advantage.  Take,  for 
example,  pear  blight  in  the  nursery.  Young  trees  may  become  infected  and  the 
disease  remain  dormant  in  them  until  they  are  set  in  the  orchard.  Inspection  here 
might  be  of  benefit,  but  it  is  questionable  whether  legislation  would  facilitate 
matters  in  the  least.  Probably  not  one  nurseryman  in  a  thousand  would  refuse  to 
take  the  proper  precautions  for  eradicating  blight  if  the  way  were  pointed  out 
to  him.  It  would  be  a  matter  of  business  for  him  to  dp  so ;  and  this  introduces  the 
question  as  to  how  far  many  of  the  problems  involved  in  the  matter  under  discussion 
could  be  controlled  by  proper  organization  among  the  experiment  station  workers 
and  others  who  might  be  easily  induced  to  cooperate  with  them.  I  can  see  no  reason 
why  a  properly  organized  force  of  this  kind,  acting  throughout  in  a  uniform  manner, ' 
would  not  accomplish  much  good,  not  only  in  educating  nurserymen  and  others 
in  the  lines  of  work  that  should  be  followed  where  emergencies  may  arise,  but  also 
by  taking  such  legitimate  and  proper  action,  where  the  exigencies  demand,  as  to 
make  it  to  the  interest  of  all  owners  of  nursery  stock  to  be  able  to  truthfully  say 
that  they  have  put  forth  every  effort  to  have  every  tree  sent  out  absolutely  free 
from  dangerous  insect,  fungous,  or  other  pests. 

So  far  our  discussion  has  dealt  mainly  with  the  nurseryman.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered, however,  that  there  are  other  phases  of  the  problem.  The  fruit  grower  himself 
is  to  be  considered  and  may  often  prove  an  important  factor  to  deal  with.  The 
energetic,  successful  man,  who  puts  forth  every  effort  to  keep  his  trees  free  from  the 
various  foes  which  beset  them,  may  often  have  his  best  efforts  rendered  more  or  Jess 
futile  by  the  fact  that  his  neighbor's  trees  harbor  all  sorts  of  insects  and  fungi.  It 
is  a  delicate  matter  to  say  what  shall  be  done  in  such  a  case.  The  man  whose  trees 
are  infested  may  not  be  shiftless.  He  may  be  the  victim  of  natural  laws,  for  which 
he  is  in  no  way  responsible,  or  he  may,  for  personal  or  other  reasons,  not  be  able  to 
care  for  his  trees  as  should  be  done.  To  hold  the  law  over  this  man  and  say  that  he 
should  spray  his  trees  or  destroy  them,  or  else  pay  a  fine  or  go  to  jail,  would  be  mani- 
festly unjust.  Public  sentiment  would  support  him,  and  therefore  the  law,  should 
it  exist,  could  not  be  enforced. 

Finally,  there  is  a  question  of  imported  pests  to  consider.  What  has  been  said  of 
the  impracticability  of  inspection  laws  will  also  apply  here.  It  may  sometimes 
happen,  however,  that  a  dangerous  pest  is  imported,  and  although  established  in 
one  or  more  places,  might  be  quickly  and  easily  eradicated  by  prompt  and  intelli- 
gent action  supported  by  proper  legislation.  Even  here,  however,  the  futility  of 
State  laws  can  be  seen,  for  the  pest  may  be  established  at  isolated  spots  in  three  or 
more  States,  and  while  the  laws  of  one  State  may  make  it  impossible  to  exterminate 
the  enemy,  those  of  the  next  may  be  wholly  powerless  to  cope  with  it.  In  such 
cases,  and  also  where  any  pest  Hitherto  confined  to  comparatively  limited  areas 
shows  an  alarming  tendency  to  spread,  proper  Federal  legislation  might  serve  a 
useful  purpose.  WThat  would  constitute  proper  Federal  legislation  is  not  within  our 
province  to  say,  as  the  complications  involved  are  far  too  numerous  to  be  considered 
here.  Suffice  it  to  say,  however,  that  the  precedent  for  such  legislation  seems  to 
have  been  established  in  creating  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry  of  the  United 


SUPPRESSION    OP    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         11 

States  Department  of  Agriculture.  By  this  act  the  head  of  the  Department  is  given 
the  power  to  prepare  such  rules  and  regulations  as  might  bo  deemed  necessary  for 
the  speedy  and  effectual  suppression  of  the  diseases  of  domestic  animals.  Necessary 
rules  and  regulations  are  to  be  certified  to  the  executive  authority  of  each  State  and 
Territory,  and  said  authorities  are  to  be  asked  to  cooperate  in  the  enforcement  and 
execution  of  the  act.  This  removes  all  difficulties  that  may  arise  between  Federal 
and  State  authorities,  and  gives  the  head  of  the  Department  power  to  act  whenever 
an  emergency  arises.  The  rules  provide  for  the  necessary  means  of  bringing  to  the 
attention  of  the  Department  any  contagious  or  communicable  disease,  the  appoint- 
ment of  inspectors,  the  quarantining  of  infected  localities,  destruction  of  the  diseased 
animals,  and  compensation  therefor  whenever  the  latter  is  recommended  by  a  board 
of  appraisers  appointed  by  virtue  of  the  act  in  question.  Whether  such  a  general 
law  or  a  similar  one  could  be  made  operative  in  the  case  of  insects  and  fungi  is  a 
question.  Public  sentiment  is  not  as  yet  very  far  advanced  in  such  matters,  and 
public  sentiment  is  what  makes  a  law  operative.  In  any  event,  it  seems  to  me  that 
a  law,  no  matter  how  drawn,  would  prove  useful  only  in  certain  special  emergencies. 
The  greater  portion  of  our  plant  diseases  and  insect  pests  can  not  be  reached  by  legis- 
lation. They  are  governed  by  natural  laws,  and  it  is  to  these  that  we  should  turn 
our  attention.  Let  us  strive,  therefore,  to  obtain  more  light  on  nature's  fundamental 
truths,  for  one  such  truth  well  understood  may  prove  of  more  lasting  benefit  than 
legislation  without  end. 

The  next  paper  called  for  was  by  Mr.  L.  O.  Howard,  Entomologist  of 
the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  The  following  is  an 
abstract  of  the  paper  made  by  the  author,  who  has  reserved  the  com- 
plete article  for  publication  elsewhere: 

THE  DESIRABILITY  OF  AN  INSPECTION  SYSTEM  AGAINST  FOREIGN  INSECTS. 

The  speaker  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  fully  one-half  the  principal  inju- 
rious insects  of  the  United  States  are  of  foreign  origin,  and  have  at  one  time  or 
another  been  accidentally  imported  into  this  country,  where,  in  the  majority  of 
cases,  they  have  nourished  to  a  degree  unknown  in  their  original  home.  This  state- 
ment was  supported  by  instancing  many  important  injurious  species.  It  was  shown 
that  aside  from  a  large  number  of  insect  enemies  of  field  crops,  most  of  the  granary 
pests,  most  of  the  household  pests,  and  most  of  the  greenhouse  pests  belong  to  the 
class  of  imported  species.  The  countries  of  origin  were  briefly  discussed,  and  it 
was  shown  that  while  Europe  is  the  home  of  the  majority  of  the  imported  spe- 
cies, the  recent  development  of  commercial  intercourse  with  eastern  Asiatic  coun- 
tries, especially  China  and  Japan,  in  connection  with  the  enormous  development  of 
agriculture  and  horticulture  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  is  now  resulting  in  the  arrival  at 
the  port  of  San  Francisco  of  many  new  insect  enemies  of  vegetation.  It  was  fur- 
ther shown  that  there  is  much  less  danger  of  importations  of  this  character  from 
the  Southern  Hemisphere,  since  such  an  importation  would  involve  a  change  of  cli- 
mate. An  insect  shipped  from  Chile  in  midsummer,  for  example,  would  arrive  in 
this  country  in  midwinter,  and  such  a  radical  change,  involving  the  complete  rever- 
sal of  the  life  cycle  of  the  insect,  is  a  practical  barrier  against  the  establishment  of 
species  imported  from  such  localities. 

Widely  differing  ways  in  which  insects  may  be  introduced  were  briefly  discussed 
and  the  known  facts  regarding  the  number  of  our  principal  imported  crop  pests 
were  given.  It  was  shown  that  the  present  method  of  packing  the  cargo  of  a  steamer 
is  admirably  adapted  to  the  successful  transportation  of  insects,  and  of  course  the 
faster  the  steamer  makes  its  way  across  the  sea  the  greater  the  danger  of  importation 
of  injurious  forms. 

The  great  difficulties  of  competent  inspection  were  dwelt  upon,  but  it  was  shown 
that  a  rigid  inspection  of  nursery  stock  would  be  possible.  The  resultant  value  of 


12         SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS   AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

such  an  inspection  to  the  country  was  illustrated  by  examples  of  insects  which  such 
inspection  in  the  past  would  have  debarred  from  entrance.  As  further  illustrating 
the  possibility  of  this  kind  of  inspection,  the  work  of  the  State  Board  of  Horticul- 
ture of  California  at  the  port  of  San  Francisco  was  described  at  some  length.  The 
possibility  of  Competent  inspection  of  nursery  stock  in  foreign  countries  before  ship- 
ment to  this  country  was  also  mentioned.  The  speaker  followed  with  a  partial  list  of 
insects  of  economic  importance  not  yet  introduced  into  this  country,  but  which  are 
still  liable  to  be  imported  from  abroad.  It  was  shown,  by  referring  to  several 
familiar  instances,  that  one  great  difficulty  in  the  preparation  of  such  a  list  arises 
from  the  fact  that  we  have  not  only  to  guard  against  insects  of  known  economic 
importance,  but  against  many  other  species  which  in  their  native  home  have  little 
economic  consequence,  but  which  in  the  more  congenial  climate  of  the  United  States 
may  multiply  to  excess. 

Tables  were  given  showing  the  importations  of  nursery  stock  and  plants,  as  well 
as  fruit,  at  the  different  ports  in  the  United  States,  and  it  was  shown  that  the  prin- 
cipal ports  of  entry  to  be  guarded  are  those  of  Boston,  Charlestown  (Mass.),  New 
York,  Cincinnati,  St.  Augustine,  Key  West,  Tampa,  New  Orleans,  and  Baltimore. 
This  comparatively  limited  list  would  seem  to  indicate  that  with  the  aid  of  State 
officials,  and  particularly  with  the  possible  cooperation  of  foreign  countries,  an 
inspection  and  quarantine  service  need  not  be  excessively  expensive  to  the  General 
Government. 

As  giving  an  idea  of  what  such  an  inspection  would  mean,  the  speaker  presented 
a  table  representing  the  inspection  of  steamers  entering  the  port  of  San  Francisco 
from  July  2,  1894,  to  August  29,  1896.  From  this  table  it  appeared  that  at  San 
Francisco  two  hundred  and  thirty  vessels  carrying  plants  were  boarded  in  the 
twenty-six  months  mentioned  and  all  plants  and  trees  found  on  them  were  carefully 
inspected.  About  one-half  the  plants  and  trees  were  found  to  be  infested  with 
scales  or  other  injurious  insects,  and  were  disinfected  or  destroyed.  It  was  shown 
that  this  inspection  system,  conducted  under  State  laws,  has  been  thorough  and  has 
undoubtedly  saved  the  State  of  California  many  times  the  cost  of  the  inspection. 
It  was  further  stated,  however,  that  inspection  at  San  Francisco  is  but  child's  play 
compared  with  the  amount  of  inspection  which  will  be  necessary  at  the  port  of 
New  York. 

In  conclusion,  the  writer  expressed  his  firm  conviction  that  the  establishment  of 
such  a  service  at  the  Eastern  ports,  while  it  might  not  be  commensurate  in  the  value 
of  its  results  with  that  of  San  Francisco,  Avould  many  times  repay  the  horticultural 
interests  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Howard's  paper  was  followed  by  one  prepared  by  Mr.  B.  F. 
Lelong,  "secretary  of  the  California  State  Board  of  Horticulture.  In 
the  absence  of  Mr.  Lelong  the  paper  was  read  by  the  secretary,  and 
was  as  follows : 

THE   INSPECTION   OF   TREES,  PLANTS,  FRUIT,   ETC.,  AS   CONDUCTED  UNDER  THE 

LAWS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

In  compliance  with  a  request  from  your  president,  Mr.  E.  H.  Cushman,  I  submit 
herewith  this  paper,  giving  the  methods  of  inspection  and  operation  of  the  laws 
relative  to  the  protection  and  promotion  of  the  horticultural  interests  in  California. 
In  order  that  tho  subject  may  be  fully  understood,  a  short  synopsis  of  the  history  of 
the  State  Board  of  Horticulture  and  its  creation  becomes  necessary. 

Prior  to  1880  there  were  no  laws  To  prevent  the  introduction  of  pests  on  trees, 
plants,  fruit,  etc.,  from  foreign  countries  or  the  Eastern  States,  and  very  little  was 
known  by  the  fruit  growers  of  the  injury  done  by  these  enemies  to  fruit  culture 
until  those  that  were  so  introduced  began  to  play  havoc  with  the  orchards  and  their 


SUPPRESSION    OP    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         13 

crops.  Among  the  insects  first  introduced  were  the  Sail  Jose  scale  (Aspidiotus  per- 
niciosus),  the  cottony  cushion  scale  (Icerya purchasi),  the  red  scale  (A.  aurantii),  the 
yellow  scale  (A.  citrinus),  the  oyster  shell  scale  (Mytilaspis  pomorum),  the  woolly 
aphis  (Schizoneura  lanigera),  and  others. 

The  need  of  establishing  a  State  board  of  horticulture  and  the  enactment  of  pro- 
tective quarantine  became  apparent  through  the  damage  and  annual  loss  sustained 
from  these  pests,  and  in  1881  an  advisory  board  was  appointed  to  look  after  the  hor- 
ticultural interests  and  adopt  the  necessary  protective  measures.  In  1883  the  State 
Board  of  Horticulture  was  created  and  quarantine  laws  were  enacted.  The  present 
status  of  the  fruit  industry  in  this  State  is  largely  due  to  the  efforts  of  the  board 
and  the  !?tate  appropriates  $15,000  annually  for  the  prosecution  of  its  work. 

At  the  beginning  the  enforcement  of  the  quarantine  laws  met  with  great  oppo- 
sition, which  continued  until  the  laws  became  better  understood.  In  the  first  case, 
before  a  justice  of  the  peace,  to  enforce  the  disinfection  of  return  packages,  the 
court  ruled  that  it  was  "a  strange  law  and  unconstitutional."  After  years  of  hard 
struggle  with  our  legislatures  we  succeeded  in  having  laws  enacted  that  have  stood 
the  tests  of  our  courts,  and  now  it  would  be  almost  impossible  under  our  present 
quarantine  system  for  injurious  insect  pests  to  obtain  a  foothold  and  commit  the 
devastation  that  many  such  pests  did  before  we  had  the  present  laws. 

In  1883  the  general  law  creating  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture  provided,  that 
said  board  be  constituted  of  nine  commissioners,  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor, 
covering  as  many  districts,  they  to  determine  by  lot  the  length  of  their  terms  (short 
and  long),  four  to  serve  a  short  term  (two  years),  and  five  a  long  term  (four  years), 
and  all  appointments  to  be  thereafter  made  for  four  years.  The  law  empowered  the 
board  to  appoint  an  inspector  of  fruit  pests  and  a  secretary.  The  board  was  also 
empowered  to  pass  quarantine  regulations,  under  the  general  law,  to  be  binding  on 
all  persons.  The  law  relative  to  the  inspector  of  fruit  pests  was  not  satisfactory,  as 
he  had  no  discretionary  powers,  and  in  1889  it  was  amended  so  as  to  provide  for  a 
secretary  of  said  board,  he  to  be  ex-officio  chief  horticultural  officer  of  the  State 
and  to  have  the  management  and  direction  of  affairs  while  the  board  is  not  in  ses- 
sion, and  to  him  all  officers  must  report. 

The  office  of  quarantine  officer  was  also  created.  He  has  charge  of  the  enforcement 
of  the  quarantine  laws,  and  his  duty  is  to  inspect  all  steamers  and  sailing  vessels 
arriving  from  foreign  ports.  He  is  provided  with  one  or  more  deputies  when  needed. 
Special  agents  are  employed  for  special  work  as  required. 

In  1881  an  act  was  passed  by  this  legislature  which  provides  that  "Whenever  a 
petition  is  presented  to  the  board  of  supervisors  of  any  county  and  signed  by  twenty- 
five  or  more  persons  who  are  residents  or  possessors  of  an  orchard  or  both,  stating 
that  certain  or  all  orchards  or  nurseries  or  trees  of  any  variety  are  infested  with 
scale  insects  of  any  kind  injurious  to  fruit,  fruit  trees,  and  vines,  or  codling  moth, 
or  other  insects  that  are  destructive  to  trees,  and  praying  that  a  commission  be 
appointed  by  them  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  supervise  their  destruction,  the  board 
of  supervisors  shall  within  twenty  days  thereafter  select  three  commissioners  for 
the  county,  to  be  known  as  a  county  board  of  horticultural  commissioners." 

The  law  further  provides  that — 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  county  board  of  horticultural  commissioners  in  any 
county,  whenever  it  shall  deem  it  necessary,  to  cause  an  inspection  to  be  made  of 
any  orchard,  or  nursery,  or  trees,  or  any  fruit-packing  house,  storeroom,  salesroom, 
or  any  other  place  in  their  jurisdiction,  and  if  found*  infested  with  scale  bug,  cod- 
ling moth,  or  other  insect  pests  injurious  to  fruit,  trees,  and  vines,  they  shall  notify 
the  owner  or  owners  or  person  or  persons  in  charge  or  possession  of  said  trees  or 
place,  as  aforesaid,  that  the  same  are  infested  with  said  insects,  or  any  of  them,  or 
thfir  eggs  or  larvae,  and  they  shall  require  such  person  or  persons  to  disinfect 
or  destroy  the  same  within  a  certain  time  to  be  specified.  If  within  such  specified 
time  such  disinfection  or  destruction  has  not  been  accomplished,  the  said  person  or 


14        SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

persons  shall  be  required  to  make  application  of  such  treatment  for  the  purpose  of 
destroying  them  as  said  commissioners  may  prescribe.  Said  notices  may  be  served 
upon  the  person  or  persons  owning  or  having  charge  or  possession  of  such  infested 
trees,  or  places,  or  articles  as  aforesaid,  by  any  commissioner,  or  by  any  person 
deputed  by  the  said  commissioners  for  that  purpose,  or  they  may  be  served  in  the 
same  manner  as  a  summons  in  a  civil  action.  If  the  owner  or  owners  or  person  or 
persons  in  charge  or  possession  of  any  orchard,  or  nursery,  or  trees,  or  places, 
or  articles  infested  with  said  insects  or  any  of  them,  or  their  eggs  or  larvae,  after 
having  been  notified  as  above  to  destroy  the  same,  or  make  application  of  treatment 
as  directed,  shall  fail,  neglect,  or  refuse  to  do  so,  he  or  they  shall  be  deemed  guilty 
of  maintaining  a  public  nuisance,  and  any  such  orchards,  nurseries,  trees,  places,  or 
articles  thus  infested  shall  be  adjudged,  and  the  same  is  hereby  declared,  a  public 
nuisance,  and  may  be  proceeded  against  as  such.  If  found  guilty,  the  court  shall 
direct  the  aforesaid  county  board  of  horticultural  commissioners  to  abate  the  nui- 
sance. The  expense  thus  incurred  may  be  a  lien  upon  the  real  property  of  the 
defendant." 

The  quarantine  regulations  passed  by  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture  are  as  follows : 

''Rule  1.  All  consignees,  agents,  or  other  person  or  persons  shall,  within  twenty- 
four  hours,  notify  the  quarantine  officer  of  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture,  or  a  duly 
commissioned  quarantine  guardian,  of  the  arrival  of  any  tree,  plant,  buds,  or  scions 
at  any  point  of  debarkation  in  the  State  of  California. 

"  Rule  2.  All  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions  imported  or  brought 
into  the  State  from  any  foreign  country  or  from  any  of  the  United  States  or  Terri- 
tories, are  hereby  required  to  be  disinfected,  as  hereinafter  provided,  upon  arrival  at 
any  point  where  they  are  to  be  unloaded ;  and,  furthermore,  if  any  of  said  trees, 
plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions  are  found  infested  with  insects,  or  with  any 
fungi,  blight,  or  other  disease  injurious  to  fruit  or  to  fruit  trees,  or  to  other  trees  or 
plants,  they  shall  remain  in  quarantine  fourteen  days,  or  until  the  quarantine  officer 
of  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture,  or  a  duly  commissioned  quarantine  guardian,  can 
determine  whether  the  said  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions  are  free 
from  live  injurious  insect  pests,  or  their  eggs,  larvae,  or  pupae  before  they  can  be 
offered  for  sale,  gift,  distribution,  or  transportation. 

"Rule  3.  All  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions  infested  with  any 
insect,  fungi,  blight,  or  other  diseases  known  to  be  injurious  to  fruit  or  to  fruit  trees 
or  to  other  trees  or  plants,  and  liable  to  spread  contagion,  are  hereby  required  to  be 
disinfected  before  being  offered  for  sale,  gift,  removal,  distribution,  or  transpor- 
tation. 

"Rule  4.  All  peach,  nectarine,  apricot,  plum,  or  almond  trees,  and  all  other  trees 
budded  or  grafted  upon  peach  stock  or  roots,  all  peach  or  other  pits,  and  all  peach, 
nectarine,  apricot,  plum,  or  almond  cuttings,  buds,  or  scions  raised  or  grown  in  a 
district  where  the  peach  yellows  or  the  peach  rosette  are  known  to  exist,  are  hereby 
prohibited  from  being  planted  or  offered  for  sale,  gift,  or  distribution  within  the 
State  of  California. 

"Rule  5.  All  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  scions,  seeds,  or  pits  arriving 
from  any  foreign  country,  found  infested  with  insect  pests  or  their  eggs,  larvae,  or 
pupae,  or  with  fungi,  or  other  disease  or  diseases  hitherto  unknown  in  this  State, 
are  hereby  prohibited  from  landing. 

"Rule  6.  Fruit  of  any  kind  grown  in  any  foreign  country,  or  in  any  of  the  United 
States  or  Territories,  found  infested  with  any  insect  or  insects,  or  with  any  fungi, 
blight,  or  other  disease  or  diseases  injurious  to  fruit  or  to  fruit  trees,  or  to  other 
trees  or  plants,  is  hereby  prohibited  from  being  offered  for  sale,  gift,  or  distribution 
within  the  State. 

"Rule  7.  Transportable  material  of  any  kind  infested  with  any  insect  or  insects,  or 
their  eggs,  larvae,  or  pupa1,  or  by  any  fungi,  blight,  or  other  disease  or  diseases  known 
to  be  injurious  to  fruit  or  to  fruit  trees,  or  to  other  trees  or  plants,  and  liable  to  spread 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT   PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         15 

contagion,  is  hereby  prohibited  from  being  offered  for  sale,  gift,  distribution,  or 
transportation  until  said  material  has  been  disinfected  by  dipping  it  in  boiling  water 
and  allowing  it  to  remain  in  said  boiling  water  not  less  than  two  minutes,  such 
boiling  water  used  as  such  disinfectant  to  contain  in  solution  1  pound  of  concen- 
trated potash  to  each  and  every  10  gallons  of  water. 

"Rule  8.  All  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions  may  be  disinfected  by 
dipping  in  a  solution  of  three-fourths  of  a  pound  of  whale  oil  soap  (8  per  cent)  to 
each  and  every  gallon  of  water.  Said  whale  oil  soap  solution  shall  be  kept  at  a 
temperature  of  100°  to  115°.  Said  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions 
shall  remain  in  said  solution  not  less  than  two  minutes.  After  said  trees,  plants, 
cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions  have  been  disinfected  they  shall  remain  in  quaran- 
tine fourteen  days  for  subsequent  inspection,  and  if  deemed  necessary  by  the  quar- 
antine officer  of  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture,  or  a  duly  commissioned  quarantine 
guardian,  for  further  disinfection. 

"Rule  9.  All  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions  may  be  disinfected  by 
fumigation  with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas,  as  follows:  Said  trees,  plants,  cuttings, 
grafts,  buds,  or  scions  shall  be  covered  with  an  air-tight  tent  or  box,  and  for  each 
and  every  100  cubic  feet  of  space  therein  two-thirds  of  an  ounce  of  c.  p.  cyanide  of 
potassium  (98  per  cent),  1  fluid  ounce  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  2  fluid  ounces  of  water 
shall  be  used.  The  cyanide  of  potassium  shall  be  placed  in  an  earthenware  vessel, 
the  water  poured  over  the  said  cyanide  of  potassium,  afterwards  adding  the  sul- 
phuric acid,  and  the  tent  or  box  to  be  immediately  closed  tight  and  allowed  to 
remain  closed  for  not  less  than  forty  minutes.  After  said  trees,  plants,  cuttings, 
grafts,  buds,  or  scions  have  been  treated  with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas,  as  above 
directed,  they  shall  remain  in  quarantine  for  fourteen  days  for  subsequent  inspec- 
tion, and  if  deemed  necessary  by  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture, 
or  the  quarantine  officer  of  said  board,  or  a  duly  commissioned  quarantine  guardian, 
for  subsequent  disinfection. 

"Rule  10.  All  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  or  scions  imported  or  brought 
into  this  State  shall  be  inspected  upon  arrival  at  first  point  of  debarkation,  and  if 
found  infested  with  mining  scales  (Cliionaspis  biclavis)  or  other  injurious  insects 
which  can  not  be  destroyed  by  the  remedies  required  in  rules  8  and  9  of  these  regu- 
lations, are  hereby  prohibited  from  being  planted  or  offered  for  sale,  gift,  or  distribu- 
tion, and  shall  be  proceeded  against  as  a  nuisance. 

"Rule  11.  Any  person  or  persons  having  in  their  possession  trees,  plants,  cuttings, 
grafts,  buds,  scions,  seeds,  or  pits  infested  with  any  insect  or  insects,  or  with  any 
fungi,  blight,  or  other  disease  or  diseases  injurious  to  fruit  or  fruit  trees,  or  to  other 
trees  or  plants,  and  who  refuse  or  neglect  to  disinfect  the  said  trees,  plants,  cuttings, 
grafts,  buds,  scions,  seeds,  or  pits,  as  is  required  by  rules  8  and  9  of  these  regulations, 
after  having  been  notified  to  do  so  by  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture, 
the  quarantine  officer  of  said  board,  or  a  duly  commissioned  quarantine  guardian,  the 
said  trees,  plants,  cuttings,  grafts,  buds,  scions,  seeds,  or  pits  shall  be  declared  a  public 
nuisance,  and  shall  be  proceeded  against  as  provided  for  by  law. 

"Rule  12.  Animals  known  as  flying  fox,  Australian  or  English  wild  rabbit  or  other 
animals  or  birds  detrimental  to  fruit  or  fruit  trees,  plants,  etc.,  are  prohibited  from 
being  brought  or  landed  in  this  State,  and,  if  landed,  they  shall  be  destroyed." 

The  laws  and  regulations  promulgated  by  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture  have 
been  enforced  without  fear  or  favor  both  by  the  State  authorities  and  county  com- 
missioners. The  validity  of  all  the  acts  passed  has  been  questioned,  and  in  suits 
brought  their  constitutionality  has  been  upheld  by  the  courts. 

In  order  to  prevent  the  possible  introduction  of  new  pests  into  our  State  on  plants 
and  trees  brought  here  by  passengers  and  importers  from  foreign  countries,  great 
precaution  has  been  exercised.  The  quarantine  officer  is  stationed  at  the  port  of  San 
Francisco,  and  under  the  regulations  of  the  board  no  tree,  plant,  or  fruit  can  be 
landed  until  passed  upon  by  him  or  his  deputy. 


16        SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

In  1892  the  following  steamships  and  shipments  were  inspected : 

Steamers  from  Japan  and  China 23 

Steamers  from  Australia  and  New  Zealand 12 

Steamers  from  Sandwich  Islands 8 

Steamers  from  Central  America 4 

Sailing  vessels  from  South  Sea  Islands 7 

By  rail  from  Eastern  States 14 

By  rail  from  Southern  States 9 

Total - 77 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  kind  and  number  of  plants  and  trees  inspected  in  the 
above  shipments : 

Ornamental  plants 74,  445 

Fruit  trees 53,893 

Citrus  trees - 372,  700 

Citrus  trees  disinfected 47,  700 

Citrus  trees  found  infected  beyond  cure  and  destroyed 326,  500 

Fruit  trees  destroyed 36,  225 

Ornamental  plants  destroyed 525 

Total 911,988 

Besides  these  the  following  shipments  were  inspected  in  the  various  counties  upon 
their  arrival: 

From  France,  fruit  trees  and  plants 1,  022,  221 

From  England,  plants 16,  926 

From  Eastern  States,  fruit  trees 453,  234 

Ornamental  plants 3,  003 


Total 1,495,384 

The  following  shipments  from  within  the  State  were  inspected : 

Fruit  trees 186,000 

Ornamental  plants 2,  900 

Citrus  trees . . .  122,  700 


Total 311,  600 

The  number  of  vessels  inspected  from  December  4,  1894,  to  August  29,  1896;  the 
number  of  plants,  trees,  etc.,  found  on  board;  and  the  disposition  made  thereof 
and  whence  they  came  were  as  follows : 

From  December  4,  1894,  to  August  29,  1896,  steamers  were  inspected  from  various 
countries  as  follows : 

China  and  Japan 72 

Australia  and  New  Zealand 29 

Tahiti ....... 5 

British  Columbia 27 

Mexican  ports 17 

Hawaii 35 

Central  America 40 

Miscellaneous 7 

Total 232 

The  trees,  plants,  and  fruit  found  on  board,  and  action  taken  in  regard  to  them 
are  as  follows : 

Total  number  of  packages  of  trees  and  plants  inspected  and  passed 930 

Total  number  of  packages  of  trees  and  plants  inspected  and  destroyed 506 

Total  number  of  packages  of  trees  and  plants  inspected  and  disinfected 474 

Total  packages .   1.910 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS   AND    PLANT    DISEASES.  17 

Plants  (loose)  inspected  and  passed 1,345 

Plants  (loose)  inspected  and  destroyed 45 

Total 1,  390 


Boxes  of  fruit  inspected  and  passed 1,  739 

Boxes  of  fruit  inspected  and  destroyed 3 

Boxes  of  fruit  inspected  and  disinfected 837 

Boxes  of  fruit  inspected  and  returned 100 

Total  boxes 2,  679 

Among  the  insect  pests  not  yet  known  in  the  State  are  plum  curculio  (Conotrache- 
lus  nenuphar},  which  would  mean  the  end  of  our  prune  industry  if  introduced;  the 
pear  Psylla  (Psyllapyricola),  which  has  been  so  destructive  to  the  pear  crops  of  New 
York;  the  bud  moth  (Tmetocei'a  ocellana},  which  has  also  played  great  havoc  in  the 
apple  orchards  in  western  New  York;  the  gypsy  moth  (Ocneria  dispar},  which  has 
cost  Massachusetts  nearly  half  a  million  dollars  to  combat;  the  cigar-case  bearer 
(Coleopliora  fletcherella),  which  did  such  great  damage  in  1894  to  the  orchards  of 
western  New  York;  the  apple  maggot  and  apple  midge;  and  the  peach  yellows 
and  peach  rosette,  which,  if  introduced,  would  mean  the  end  of  successful  peach 
culture  in  the  State. 

The  flying  fox  (Pteropus  rubricollis],  a  great  pest  in  Australia,  was  also  found  on 
board  of  steamers.  These  alight  in  orchards  in  the  night  in  great  numbers. 
Upward  of  one  hundred  thousand  in  a  flock  have  often  been  observed — enough  to 
damage  an  entire  crop  in  a  single  night.  The  mongoose  (Herpestes  griseus),  which  is 
so  destructive  to  poultry,  especially  in  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  Jamaica,  imported 
there  from  India  in  the  hope  of  destroying  rodent  pests,  was  also  intercepted.  We 
are  especially  guarding  against  the  introduction  of  the  English  or  Australian  rabbit, 
which  would  cause  great  damage  if  brought  to  our  shores. 

Every  State  should  have  protective  measures  of  its  own.  The  State  Board  of 
Horticulture  of  this  State  was  the  first  to  be  created  in  the  country.  Other  Pacific 
States  have  followed  the  example,  but  the  boards  are  not  supported  by  their  legis- 
latures as  they  should  be.  The  creation  of  any  such  board  without  moral  support 
and  financial  aid  is  of  no  value,  and  can  accomplish  no  good  to  the  State.  Unless 
amply  provided  with  means  and  stringent  laws,  the  undertaking  of  establishing  such 
a  board  should  not  be  attempted. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  of  late  in  regard  to  the  San  Jose  scale,  which  has 
been  introduced  into  the  East  and  some  of  the  Southern  States  on  infected  fruit  from 
California.  The  fault,  if  any  there  be,  lies  with  the  people  of  those  States,  because 
they  had  no  State  legislation  or  protective  measures  to  prevent  the  introduction  of 
such  pests. 

Prior  to  1880  California  occupied  the  same  position.  We  had  no  State  legislation 
for  the  protection  of  the  horticultural  interests,  and  the  Eastern  and  Southern  nurs- 
erymen found  our  State  a  convenient  dumping  ground  for  all  their  pest-ridden  trees, 
until  we  became  alive  to  the  dangers  before  us  through  yearly  loss,  and  secured  the 
creation  of  the  State  Board  of  Horticulture  and  the  enactment  of  protective  horti- 
cultural legislation.  When  we  established  a  quarantine  against  Eastern  trees, 
especially  from  districts  where  the  peach  yellows  and  peach  rosette  exist,  the  nurs- 
erymen of  the  East  in  convention  declared  that  we  had  done  so  in  the  interest  of 
home-grown  stock,  and  that  it  was  a  boycott  against  the  Eastern  dealer.  When  we 
established  the  same  quarantine  against  the  introduction  of  nursery  stock  from  one 
county  into  another  the  nurserymen  here  then  declared  it  was  a  boycott  in  favor  of 
nurserymen  of  each  county.  But  what  was  the  result  f  Each  nurseryman  pays  strict 
attention  and  sees  that  his  stock  is  clean  before  shipment,  else  it  will  be  quarantined 
at  destination  and  a  certificate  of  inspection  before  shipment  must  accompany  each 
shipment.  The  railroad  company  will  pot  deliver  the  trees  until  passed  upon  by  the 
2496 2 


18        SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

local  inspector.  The  Eastern  nurseryman  can  ship  his  trees  into  the  State,  provided 
he  complies  with  the  existing  laws  and  regulations,  which  insure  to  the  grower  clean 
and  healthy  trees,  and  to  the  nurseryman  a  better  and  larger  trade.  Or,  in  other  words, 
nurserymen  are  compelled  by  law  to  provide  clean  and  healthy  trees  to  their  custom- 
ers and  to  be  honest  in  their  dealings.  Each  State  should  vie  with  the  others 
to  secure  such  legislation  as  shall  benefit  the  entire  nation.  At  present  there  is  no 
law  providing  for  the  inspection  of  export  shipments,  or  shipments  going  out  of  the 
State,  and  if  all  other  States  would  have  protective  legislation  it  would  compel  the 
growers  here  to  be  more  careful,  and  no  infected  fruit  would  ever  leave  the  State. 
And  while  this  would  protect  every  State  it  would  also  help  us  in  compelling  ship- 
pers and  growers  to  ship  only  clean  and  bright  fruit. 

In  order  to  prevent  the  introduction  of  foreign  pests  into  the  United  States, 
stringent  laws  should  be  enacted  by  Congress  and  a  strict  quarantine  established  at 
ev'ery  port  of  entry.  A  law  should  also  be  passed  providing  for  the  inspection  of 
all  cuttings  and  plants  sent  by  mail.  At  present  what  could  prevent  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  curculio  or  the  gypsy  moth  into  any  State?  There  are  many  curious 
people  who  while  traveling  find  curious  things  or  things  which  they  think  curious 
and  collect  and  send  these  curios  to  their  friends  through  the  mail,  thus  perhaps 
introducing  pests  into  new  localities.  We  have  many  instances  where  this  has  been 
done.  The  cottony  cushion  scale  was  carried  from  one  locality  to  another  on  bou- 
quets. The  bouquets  on  wilting  were  thrown  away  and  from  these  the  pest  spread. 
Flowers  taken  from  one  State  to  another  should  be  carefully  examined. 

The  flying  fox  before  mentioned  and  the  mongoose  were  also  brought  as  curiosities. 
Only  a  few  months  ago  a  lady  passenger  on  a  steamer  had  a  collection  of  chirping 
crickets  from  Mexico  which  are  very  injurious  to  vegetation  and  which  she  had  raised 
as  pets  and  would  no  doubt  have  liberated  them,  had  they  not  been  killed  by  our 
officer  on  arrival. 

Our  quarantine  officer  has  called  the  attention  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
to  the  matter  of  there  being  no  national  law  or  regulation  to  prevent  the  introduc- 
tion into  the  United  States  of  even  such  a  terrible  pest  as  the  Australian  rabbit,  and 
as  there  are  other  ports  of  entry  outside  of  this  State  where  they  can  be  landed 
that  it  would  be  wise  for  Congress  to  enact  a  stringent  law  leaving  no  loophole  for 
thoughtless  or  careless  people  to  bring  such  pests,  and  when  found  to  provide  for 
their  immediate  destruction. 

What  I  have  said  does  not  apply  to  the  present  existing  condition  of  the  fruit  pests 
in  the  State.  The  cottony  cushion  scale,  which  caused  so  much  damage,  and 
through  which  the  citrus  industry  had  been  about  abandoned,  has  been  practically 
exterminated  through  the  agency  of  the  ladybugs  ( Vedalia  cardinalis  and  Novius 
koelelei)  introduced  from  Australia.  In  many  parts  of  the  State  the  black  scale 
(Lecanium  olece)  has  been  exterminated  by  the  black  ladybug  (RhizoUus  ventralis), 
also  of  Australian  importation.  This  ladybug  is  becoming  colonized  in  many  poi- 
tions  of  the  State.  The  mealy  bugs  (Dactylop'ms}  are  being  exterminated  by  a  lady- 
bug  (Cryptolamus  montrouzieri) .  The  San  Jose  scale  in  many  sections  has  been 
exterminated  by  internal  parasites,  its  natural  enemies.  Two  internal  parasites  are 
at  work  on  the  yellow  scale  (Aspidiotus  citrinus)  infecting  the  orange,  which  keep  it 
well  in  check.  The  Ehizolius  nan  us  is  doing  good  work  in  lessening  the  red  spider, 
so  destructive  to  our  prune  and  almond  orchards.  So  it  will  be  seen  that  while  we 
have  suffered  from  the  attacks  of  injurious  pests  our  orchards  now  suffer  but  little  in 
comparison  with  what  they  did,  and  by  proper  quarantine  laws  we  hope  to  keep 
them  and  still  improve  their  condition  by  preventing  the  introduction  of  new  pests. 

With  the  advent  of  the  cottony  cushion  scale  our  citrus-fruit  shipments  decreased 
about  one-half,  while  with  the  advent  of  the  Vedalia  cardinalis  and  Novius  koebelei  the 
output  increased,  and  now  we  ship  about  ten  thousand  car  loads  annually.  The  cod- 
ling moth  is  easily  subdued,  as  are  also  all  other  pests  of  minor  importance.  The 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         19 

most  troublesome  pest  we  have  is  the  red  scale  (Aspidiotns  aurantii),  for  which  as 
yet  no  effective  parasite  has  been  found,  arid  we  have  to  apply  the  hydrocyanic  acid 
gas  treatment,  which  is  somewhat  expensive,  but  effective. 

The  introduction  of  parasites  to  combat  injurious  pests  is  of  California  origin,  and 
the  results  attained  have  gone  on  record  as  the  greatest  of  boons  to  California  inter- 
ests. With  California,  which  nature  has  decreed  to  be  "the  orchard  of  America/' 
if  not  of  the  globe,  other  States  are  equally  interested  in  protective  legislation. 
When  we  destroyed  a  cargo  of  325,000  orange  trees  from  Tahiti  infested  by  the  min- 
ing scale,  an  insect  that  no  remedy  can  destroy,  as  it  lives  under  the  bark,  thereby 
preventing  the  scale  from  obtaining  a  foothold,  not  only  was  California  benefited, 
but  all  other  States  shared  with  her,  for  if  the  scale  had  spread  among  our  orchards 
it  would  have  been  only  a  short  time  when  it  Avould  have  been  carried  to  every  citrus- 
growing  State  in  the  Union,  either  on  trees,  scions,  or  fruit.  The  many  thousands 
of  infected  trees  and  plants  destroyed  on  their  arrival  in  this  State  from  foreign 
countries  was  a  bar  to  their  introduction  into  the  East,  for  many  such  plants  and 
trees  are  reshipped  after  landing;  and  while  we  grow  the  fruits  of  every  zone,  the 
whole  world  has  the  same  interest  in  our  success,  or  at  least  should  have  the  same, 
that  it  has  in  the  success  and  prosperity  of  other  specially  favored  regions  of  our 
marvelous  country. 

Mr.  Lelong's  paper  was  the  last  of  those  prepared  by  request.  It 
was  announced  that  Mr.  Gerald  McCarthy,  entomologist  of  the  North 
Carolina  Experiment  Station,  had  a  paper  to  present.  The  convention 
voted  that  the  paper  be  read.  It  was  as  follows : 

CROP  PESTS  AND  THEIR  REPRESSION  BY  LAW. 

It  is  a  fact  that  no  practical  horticulturist  will  dispute  that  crop  pests  are  more 
numerous  and  destructive  now  than  they  were  formerly,  or  only  twenty-five  years 
ago.  Then  to  plant  a  tree  or  a  crop  and  tend  it  with  only  old-fashioned  care  was  to 
insure  a  harvest,  and  generally  a  satisfactory  one.  Now  no  one  can  secure  even  an 
apology  for  a  crop  without  unremitting  care  and  much  "doctoring"  of  the  plants. 

The  cause  of  this  change  is  not  hard  to  find.  It  is  the  boast  of  our  time  that 
methods  of  transportation  have  become  so  perfect  that  commerce,  even  in  the  case  of 
such  perishable  articles  as  fresh  fruits  and  living  plants,  has  extended  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth  and  our  markets  are  supplied  with  fresh  productions  of  all  countries  and 
climes.  But  the  reasons  and  appliances  which  suffice  to  bring  us  such  useful  products 
suffice  equally  well  to  bring,  and  in  fact  do  bring,  us  the  crop  pests  formerly  peculiar 
to  different  and  distant  climes.  As  to  the  seeming  increase  in  the  voracity  of  our 
native  pests,  this  is  more  apparent  than  real.  It  is  not  that  our  native  species  of 
insects  eat  more  than  formerly,  bufc  rather  that  we,  by  our  continual  and  extensive 
improvement  in  cultural  varieties  of  plants,  have  rendered  the  latter  more  or  less 
artificial  and  not  fair  representatives  of  the  originally  vigorous  stock.  We  no  longer 
dig  up  trees  from  fence  corners  or  chance  seed  beds.  We  seize  upon  spontaneous 
variations  and  by  our  improved  methods  propagate  and  fix  these  so-called  improve- 
ments. Improvements  they  may  be  from  a  human  or  economic  standpoint,  but  from 
a.  physiological  standpoint  they  are  too  often  degenerations.  We  also  plant  these 
pampered  trees  in  large  blocks,  and  this  fact  explains  why  our  more  improved  varie- 
ties become  less  and  less  able  to  withstand  the  assaults  of  their  natural  parasites. 

Well,  we  must  accept  modern  progress  even  with  its  concomitant  evils,  but  by 
national  measures  and  precautions  we  can  greatly  decrease,  if  not  extirpate,  many 
of  these  evils.  We  have  not  met  here  to-day  to  condole  with  one  another,  but  to 
devise  such  legal  measures  as  shall  tend  to  prevent  the  introduction  and  dissemina- 
tion of  these  parasites. 


20        SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT   DISEASES. 

The  parasites  which  trouble  the  horticulturist  belong  to  three  different  categories, 
viz,  fungi,  weeds,  and  insects.  Now  as  to  the  first  class,  ten  years  of  practical 
experience  as  an  experiment  station  botanist  has  convinced  me  that  only  State  laws 
and  local  ordinances  are  of  any  use.  The  best  that  a  national  law  can  do  for  us  is 
to  prevent  the  sale  of  apparently  diseased  nursery  stock,  but  none  of  the  more 
destructive  diseases,  such  as  peach  yellows,  plum  knot,  or  pear  blight,  appear  with 
sufficient  distinctness  to  be  recognizable  upon  young  trees  or  such  as  are  usually 
sold  by  nurserymen.  Laws  against  this  class  of  pests  must  be  directed  against 
orchards  on  the  lines  of  orchard  hygiene  and  management.  Such  laws  fall  within 
the  sphere  of  State  influence  alone. 

Against  weed  pests  a  national  law  would  be  more  effective  than  in  the  case  of  fungi, 
'but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  results  would  be  worth  the  expense.  Most  of  our  more 
troublesome  weed  pests  are  of  foreign  origin,  and  were  originally  introduced  in  foul 
samples  of  clover,  grass,  and  field  seeds.  Of  recent  years  the  experiment  stations 
have  devoted  much  attention  to  seed  testing,  and  the  official  association  at  its  last 
meeting  arranged  for  a  uniform  system  which  will  have  the  effect  of  driving  foul 
seed  samples  out  of  our  markets. 

Our  third  category  includes  insect  pests,  and  here,  I  think,  we  have  abundant 
grounds  for  governmental  intervention.'  Insects  possess  greater  powers  of  adapta- 
tion than  plants.  They  pass  through  various  changes  of  structure  during  the  period 
of  their  life  history,  and  in  some  one  or  more  of  these  phases  they  are  capable  of 
remaining  dormant  and  without  food  for  an  indefinite  period.  This  enables  them  to 
secure  dispersion,  with  and  upon  the  plants  they  infest  in  their  original  homes,  to  all 
countries  to  which  such  plants  or  their  fruits  are  carried  by  commerce.  An  efficient 
quarantine  law  by  Congress  to  enforce  entomological  inspection  of  all  imported 
plants,  fruits,  and  seeds  by  a  competent  entomologist  will  go  very  far  toward  pre- 
venting the  further  introduction  of  foreign  insect  pests.  A  similar  law  regulating 
interstate  commerce  in  plants  and  allowing  free  circulation  only  of  such  as  have 
been  examined  and  certified  as  free  from  insect  parasites,  will  prevent  the  further 
spread  of  pests  already  existing  in  one  or  more  of  our  States.  The  deplorable 
results  of  the  absence  of  such  a  law  is  only  too  readily  seen  in  case  of  the  recent 
spread  of  San  Jose  scale  in  the  Atlantic  States. 

The  need  of  such  a  law  is  peculiarly  felt  in  the  new  fruit-growing  sections  of  the 
South.  Hitherto,  and  until  a  comparatively  recent  tune,  the  highways  of  commerce 
had  not  so  extensively  penetrated  the  Southern  as  the  Northern  States.  Along  with 
the  disadvantages  entailed  by  the  lack  of  commerce,  we  have  enjoyed  the  blessing 
of  immunity  from  many  of  the  most  destructive  pests  which  affect  Northern  fruit 
growers.  We  realize  the  danger  of  speedy  infection  unless  we  can  secure  protection 
by  an  enactment  of  Congress — the  only  possible  source  of  an  efficient  law.  North 
Carolina  has  already  tried  State  laws,  and  so  have  other  States,  but  when  such 
laws  promise  any  good  their  provisions  are  pronounced  unconstitutional  by  the 
United  States  courts. 

To  recapitulate:  (1)  Pests  of  crops  belong  to  three  categories— fungi,  weeds,  and 
insects;  (2)  only  the  last  class  can  be  effectively  dealt  with  by  a  national  law; 
(3)  insect  pests  can  not  be  effectively  or  economically  dealt  with  by  State  or  local 
laws  alone;  (4)  a  national  quarantine  law  against  foreign  insect  pests  and  the 
enforced  inspection  and  certification  of  plants  which  are  objects  of  interstate  com- 
merce are  the  principal  desiderata  in  such  a  law. 

A  general  discussion  followed  the  reading  of  the  papers.  The  discus- 
sion brought  out  the  various  interests  represented,  and  was  continued 
until  1  o'clock,  when  a  recess  was  taken  until  3  p.  m. 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         21 

AFTERNOON  SESSION,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  5, 1897. 

DRAFTS  OF  BILLS  COVERING  STATE,  INTERSTATE,  AND  INTERNATIONAL  LEGISLA- 
TION. 

Tbe  convention  was  called  to  order  by  the  chairman  at  3  p.  m.  The 
committee  on  legislation  presented  drafts  of  bills  covering  State,  inter- 
state, and  international  legislation,  and  gave  a  hearing  to  members  of 
the  convention  upon  the  merits  and  defects  of  these  measures. 

COMMITTEE  TO  INVITE  THE  SECRETARY  OF  AGRICULTURE  TO  ADDRESS  THE  CON- 
VENTION. 

At  5  p.  m.,  upon  motion  of  Mr.  W.  W.  Miller,  of  Ohio,  a  committee, 
consisting  of  Messrs.  Miller  and  Farusworth,  of  Ohio,  and  Hooker,  of 
New  York,  was  appointed  to  wait  upon  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture, 
the  Hon.  James  Wilson,  and  invite  him  to  address  the  convention. 

Secretary  Wilson  was  introduced  and  made  a  brief  address,  in  which 
he  expressed  a  deep  interest  in  the  matters  under  consideration  by  the 
convention. 

The  convention  adjourned  at  8  p.  m. 

EVENING  SESSION,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  5, 1897. 

RESOLUTIONS  RELATIVE  TO  THE  EXTERMINATION  OF  GYPSY  MOTH. 

At  the  evening  session  the  following  resolutions,  offered  by  Mr.  Ses- 
sions, of  Massachusetts,  were  favorably  reported  by  the  committee  on 
resolutions  and  were  adopted: 

Whereas  the  State  of  Massachusetts  has  for  the  past  six  years  been  engaged  in  an 
eft'ort  to  exterminate  the  Ocneria  dispar,  or  gypsy  moth,  an  important  insect  pest;  which 
is  as  yet  confined  to  a  small  area  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  and  which  preys 
upon  the  foliage  of  all  deciduous  and  coniferous  trees  and  shrubs,  as  well  as  upon 
the  leaves  of  almost  all  vegetables  and  flowering  plants,  and  which  if  not  extermi- 
nated will  spread  all  over  this  country;  and 

Whereas  the  State  of  Massachusetts  has  appropriated  seven  hundred  and  seventy 
thousand  dollars,  of  which  more  than  four-fifths  has  already  been  expended  in  the 
work  of  extermination  with  considerable  success: 

Resolrqd,  That  this  is  a  question  of  national  importance,  and  that  the  National 
Government  should  assume  the  work  of  extermination  or  render  substantial  financial 
assistance  to  the  State  of  Massachusetts  for  that  purpose,  that  the  work  may  be  car- 
ried to  a  successful  conclusion  and  this  continent  be  thus  saved  from  the  ravages  of 
another  terrible  insect  pest. 

Resolred,  That  the  committee  on  legislation  is  hereby  directed  to  appear  before 
the  proper  committees  of  Congress  and  advocate  suitable  legislation  to  carry  into 
etl'ect  these  resolutions. 

RESOLUTION  TO  MAKE  COMMITTEE  ON  LEGISLATION  PERMANENT  UNTIL  NEXT 

MEETING. 

The  following  resolution  was  offered  by  Mr.  S.  L.  Lupton,  of  Virginia, 
and  was  adopted : 

Ite>>oli'ed,  That  the  committee  on  legislation  be  continued  as  a  permanent  body 
until  the  next  meeting  of  the  convention,  with  power  to  appoint  an  executive 


22         SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

committee,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  represent  the  general  committee  and  the  conven- 
tion before  Congress  in  securing  such  legislative  action  as  may  be  recommended  by  the 
general  committee  or  the  convention,  and  the  chairman  of  the  general  committee 
shall  have  power  to  fill  vacancies  in  either  committee. 

RESOLUTION  RELATIVE  TO  ADJOURNMENT. 

Mr.  Brown,  of  Connecticut,  offered  the  following  resolution,  which  was 
also  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  when  this  convention  adjourns  it  shall  adjourn  to  meet  at  the  call 
of  the  president,  vice  president,  and  secretary,  who  shall  notify  the  associations  and 
institutions  now  represented  in  the  convention  and  other  associations  of  similar 
character. 

The  convention  then  adjourned  to  meet  at  10  a.  m.  Saturday. 

MORNING  SESSION,   SATURDAY,  MARCH   6,  1897. 

i 

RESOLUTIONS  RELATIVE  TO   STATE    LEGISLATION  AGAINST  INSECT  AND  FUNGOUS 

PESTS. 

The  convention  was  called  to  order  at  11  a.  in.  The  following  as  to 
State  legislation  was  reported  by  the  committee  on  legislation  and  was 
adopted : 

(1)  That  each  State  should  provide  for  the  proper  inspection  of  nurseries  and  other 
premises  for  the  detection  of  the  presence  of  the  San  Jose  scale  or  other  dangerously 
injurious  insects  or  plant  diseases. 

(2)  That  each  State  should  provide  for  the  proper  and  timely  application  of  the 
most  approved  remedial  or  preventive  treatment  when  found  necessary. 

(3)  That  should  packages  of  nursery  stock,  etc.,  be  shipped  into  a  State  contrary 
to  law,  i.  e.,  without  proper  inspection  certificates  attached,  it  ought  to  be  so  han- 
dled as  to  receive  proper  inspection  and  not  be  destroyed  unless  condemned  by  proper 
and  competent  authority. 

(4)  That  each  State  should  cooperate  in  securing  the  passage  and  enforcement  of 
a  national  law  providing  against  the  introduction  and  dissemination  of  San  Jose 
scale  and  other  dangerously  injurious  insects  and  plant  diseases  by  means  of  imports 
or  through  interstate  commerce. 

DISCUSSION  OF  BILL  RELATING  TO  INTERSTATE  AND  INTERNATIONAL  LEGISLATION 
AGAINST  INSECT  AND  FUNGOUS  PESTS.' 

The  same  committee  then  reported  the  draft  of  a  bill  relating  to 
interstate  and  international  phases  of  the  subject.  It  was  agreed  that 
the  proposed  bill  be  read,  discussed,  and  adopted  by  sections.  (The 
bill  as  adopted  is  given  on  p.  29  in  full.) 

Section  1  was  read  by  the  secretary,  and  was  discussed  as  follows : 
Mr.  ALWOOD.  What  I  say  now  I  should  have  said  before  the  taking 
up  of  this  section,  but  I  failed  to  rise  at  the  time.     It  is  simply  a  word 
of  outline.     The  committee  thought  it  un  wise  to  provide  for  any  speci  fi  c 

]No  full  official  report  of  this  discussion  was  made  by  the  secretaries,  but  learning 
that  Mr.  Howard  had  made  a  stenographic  report  for  his  own  information,  the  editor 
has  asked  his  permission  to  publish  it»in  the  proceedings,  as  the  discussion  was  inter- 
esting and  important. 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         23 

State  law  and  decided  to  combine  what  might  be  termed  international 
quarantine  and  interstate  quarantine  in  one  bill.  The  international 
quarantine  is  dealt  with  in  the  first  four  sections  of  the  bill.  This  pro- 
posed measure  intends  to  give  to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  large 
discretionary  power,  such  as  he  already  has  in  the  operations  of  the 
Bureau  of  Animal  Industry.  The  bill  further  provides  that  if  a  foreign 
country  will  make  arrangements  for  proper  inspection  of  nursery  stock, 
etc.,  which  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  can  accept,  said  stock  may 
enter  without  quarantine  either  at  the  threshold  of  the  country  or 
between  the  States.  The  idea  is  to  put  no  restriction  that  is  not 
absolutely  necessary  upon  the  movement  of  the  stock,  but  to  permit  the 
utmost  freedom,  so  that  the  stock  may  be  inspected  either  at  the  ports 
of  entry  or  the  ports  of  the  country  from  which  it  is  shipped.  We 
find  it  unwise  to  propose  a  measure  for  quarantining  fruit  between  the 
States.  We  did  provide  in  the  bill,  however,  for  the  strict  regulation 
of  nurseries — not  the  quarantine  of  farms,  but  the  quarantine  of  indi- 
viduals or  corporations  who  sell  or  transport  nursery  stock.  We  went  so 
far  as  to  make  it  possible  for  the  farmers  to  provide  their  own  inspector 
under  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture.  But 
the  main  thing  is  that  the  State  shall  provide  and  maintain  inspection 
and  that  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  shall  accept  such.  If  the  State 
fails  in  this  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  is  given  large  discretionary 
power  to  prevent  the  dissemination  of  infested  stock  by  interstate  com- 
merce— not  to  touch  it  in  the  State,  but  to  prevent  it  from  entering 
interstate  commerce.  These  are  the  main  provisions  of  the  bill  and 
the  main  lines  of  thought  which  governed  the  committee. 

Mr.  VAN  DEMAN.  I  do  not  know  if  there  is  anything  in  it  and  I 
throw  it  out  as  a  suggestion,  but  regarding  the  word  u  fruit,"  might  it 
not  be  construed  to  mean  not  only  fresh  fruit,  but  dried  fruit  as  well, 
for  instance,  dried  prunes,  etc.?  We  might  get  into  some  complication 
over  the  lack  of  the  word  fresh  before  fruit. 

Mr.  BISSELL.  It  seems  to  me  that  would  come  within  the  discretion 
of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture.  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  miscon- 
strued. 

Mr.  BEACH.  I  see  no  reason  why  if  we  specify  fruits  we  should  not 
also  specify  nuts. 

Mr.  POWELL.  The  word  fruit  covers  nuts. 

Mr.  DANIELS.  I  think  the  word  "  fruit"  is  a  very  important  factor  in 
the  bill.  What  difference  does  it  make  to  us  whether  a  scale  insect 
comes  over  in  a  prune  or  on  a  plant  or  tree?  We  do  not  care  how  it 
comes  here.  We  do  not  want  it  to  land  on  this  coast  if  we  can  help  it. 
Commerce  between  States  is  a  family  affair,  but  when  a  pest  comes  from 
abroad  it  is  a  matter  that  we  have  to  deal  with  in  a  body.  If  it  is  dis- 
covered that  some  disease  or  insect  is  imported  into  this  country,  we 
want  it  stopped  at  once,  as  soon  as  discovered.  Leave  it  to  the  discre- 
tion of  our  Secretary  of  Agriculture.  We  have  implicit  confidence  in 


24         SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

the  man  who  fills  that  office,  and  I  believe  it  is  the  desire  of  the  people 
here  that  we  leave  it  to  him. 

Mr.  VAN  DEMAN.  I  am  fully  in  accord  with  the  sentiments  of  the 
gentleman  from  California,  and  if  the  inspection  of  dried  prunes  and 
other  dried  fruits  is  practicable  I  am  certainly  in  favor  of  it,  but  the 
question  rises  in  my  mind  as  to  whether  it  would  be  practicable, 
because  dried  fruits  are  put  up  in  sacks,  boxes,  etc.,  and  it  would  be, 
in  my  opinion,  impossible  to  properly  inspect  fruits  in  that  condition. 

Mr.  POWELL.  The  chances  are  they  would  not  need  to  be  inspected, 
but  if  they  did  it  could  doubtless  be  arranged  by  raising  lids  and 
fumigating. 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  The  committee  intended  the  application  of  this  part 
only  in  case  of  some  immediate  danger  from  a  certain  district.  Where 
this  was  threatened  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  could  then  check  it 
and  save  the  country  from  the  introduction  of  some  serious  pest. 

The  section  was  adopted  without  amendment. 

Section  2  was  read  and  was  adopted  without  discussion  or  amendment. 

Section  3  was  then  read  and  was  discussed  as  follows : 

Mr.  BARKY.  I  would  like  to  inquire  whether  the  committee  considers 
it  feasible  to  examine  stock  at  a  port  of  entry,  or  have  the  stock 
inspected  at  a  port  of  entry,  as  in  the  manner  suggested  in  this  section — 
take,  for  instance,  the  arrival  of  100  cases  of  nursery  stock  in  one 
shipment  5  I  would  like  to  inquire  how  it  is  to  be  done. 

Mr.  HOBBS.  It  seems  to  me  rather  impracticable  to  treat  the  stock 
at  the  port  of  entry  here.  It  occurs  to  me  that  this  inspection  and 
treatment  of  the  stock  should  be  done  before  it  is  boxed.  I  think  we 
should  require  this. 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  This  was  all  considered  by  the  committee,  but  we  had 
no  way  of  reaching  it  except  to  give  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture 
power  to  inspect  it.  Inspection  has  been  beneficial  in  California. 
That  can  not  be  denied.  The  result  would  be  in  most  cases  that  for- 
eign countries  would  accept  our  law  and  shipments  would  be  inspected 
on  their  side,  otherwise  leave  it  to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture.  I 
may  say  here  that  the  Department  of  Agriculture  has,  eyes  that  see 
very  far.  It  knows  what  is  going  on  in  foreign  countries  and  hence 
it  can  check  stock  at  the  port  of  entry. 

Mr.  BISSELL.  The  handling  of  nursery  stock  arriving  in  a  vessel 
would  be  a  simple  matter  compared  with  the  other  things  inspected 
for  the  purpose  of  appraising  value  and  fixing  customs  duty.  The 
Secretary  of  Agriculture  would  certainly  confer  with  nurserymen  and 
have  this  matter  handled  in  their  interest. 

Mr.  BARRY.  The  section  is  apparently  all  right,  but  otherwise  all 
wrong,  because  we  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  done.  The  committee  ad- 
mit that  they  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  accomplished.  It  is  all  very 
well  to  make  the  law  as  you  have,  but  there  is  something  serious  about 
it.  We  do  not  see  our  way  clear  to  do  it,  and  I  shall  not  favor  it  until 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         25 

we  do  see  our  way  clear.  I  shall  object,  because  I  can  not,  as  a  nursery- 
man in  this  country,  consent  to  form  a  law  which  would  restrict  trade 
entirely.  Every  nurseryman  imports  more  or  less  nursery  stock,  and 
this  section  would  cut  it  off  entirely.  I  may  be  wrong.  To  save  time 
I  will  also  refer  to  another  part :  "  Shall  be  duly  stamped  or  labeled." 
How  do  you  interpret  that?  Is  every  particular  item  to  be  "duly 
stamped  or  labeled?"  Suppose  I  have  100  cases,  when  would  that  be 
done? 

Mr.  BISSELL.  The  Secretary  of  Agriculture  would  be  authorized  to 
use  discretion  in  such  matters. 

Mr.  BARRY.  Nursery  stock  is  not  like  other  goods.  Prompt  action 
must  be  taken,  and  if  you  are  going  to  leave  the  thing  in  this  indefinite 
shape  I  shall  object  to  it.  Do  not  think  I  am  criticising  this  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  criticising.  These  simply  appear  to  me  to  be  diffi- 
culties in  the  way.  Somebody  may  see  a  way  out. 

Mr.  WARDELL.  I  want  to  call  the  attention  of  the  gentleman  to  the 
fact  that  we  have  a  quarantine  in  our  State  [California].  We  do  open 
and  examine  goods.  Usually  they  are  goods  in  shipment  for  nursery- 
men throughout  the  State.  The  material  arrives  at  San  Francisco  and 
much  of  it  we  have  been  compelled  to  quarantine.  If  our  State  can  do 
it,  certainly  the  great  United  States  can  do  it.  In  regard  to  feasibility 
and  practicability  of  inspecting  these  goods,  that  is  a  simple  matter. 
Copies  of  the  laws  will  be  sent  to  men  making  shipments  from  foreign 
countries,  and  they  will  understand  that  trees  and  plants  must  be  so 
placed,  must  be  so  packed,  that  they  can  be  readily  opened  and 
inspected,  otherwise  they  will  be  subjected  to  inevitable  delay.  Copies 
of  the  regulations  will  be  printed  and  sent  out,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
so  that  no  man  will  have  to  act  in  the  dark,  and  no  man  can  reasonably 
plead  ignorance.  Goods  will  be  packed  so  that  they  can  be  readily 
inspected  and  readily  treated  if  necessary,  and  that,  I  repeat,  is  a  very 
simple  matter.  We  expect  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  will  meet  this 
easily.  It  is  not  necessary  to  say  how  goods  shall  be  packed.  They 
may  be  placed  in  boxes  with  lids  which  could  be  opened  and  closed 
just  as  a  trunk  is  inspected  at  the  customhouse. 

It  is  an  easy  matter  to  paste  on  the  case  a  certificate  stating  that  it  has 
passed  inspection.  This  is  all  that  the  bill  anticipates.  The  gentleman, 
of  course,  recognizes  the  fact  that  we  have  struggled  with  these  ques- 
tions for  many  hours,  and  they  have  been  fully  discussed  in  committee. 
I  do  not  see  any  reason  why  the  United  States  Government  can  not 
quarantine  against  any  dangerous  insect,  and  do  it  efficiently,  and  do 
it  so  as  not  to  inconvenience  the  nurseryman.  In  my  State  we  are 
constantly  inspecting  goods,  opening  cases,  etc.,  and  if  any  contain 
injurious  insects  or  disease  they  are  promptly  destroyed.  What  has 
been  done  can  be  done  again. 

Mr.  BARRY.  The  last  speaker  stated  that  there  was  no  difficulty.  I 
can  see  very  grave  difficulties.  Goods  arrive  say  in  the  middle  of 


26         SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

winter.  They  are  put  upon  the  platform  in  the  customhouse  when  the 
the  mercury  is  sometimes  down  to  10°  below  zero.  If  the  case  is  opened 
anil  the  goods  exposed  in  twenty  four  hours  the  contents  will  be  utterly 
ruined.  I  think  it  is  a  very  difficult  matter.  Shipments  usually  arrive 
in  the  month  of  January — sometimes  in  December,  but  generally  in 
January.  It  would  be  very  difficult  to  expose  stock  at  this  time  without 
injury. 

Mr.  BTSSELL.  The  stock  could  be  inspected  and  properly  certified 
before  being  sent  to  this  country. 

Mr.  BARRY.  Can  the  Government  arrange  to  have  it  certified  on  the 
other  side?  I  ask  Mr.  Howard  whether  such  arrangements  can  be 
made. 

Mr.  HOWARD.  The  great  majority  of  foreign  countries  employ  effi- 
cient entomologists.  No  doubt  their  services  could  be  readily  arranged 
for  this  purpose.  It  would  be  comparatively  easy  for  the  the  Secretary 
of  Agriculture  to  overcome  this  winter  difficulty  also.  No  inspector 
would  like  the  job  of  examining  stock  with  the  mercury  10°  below 
zero.  A  barn  or  house  could  be  erected  for  this  purpose. 

Mr.  VAN  DEMAN.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  examination  could  be  quite 
as  easily  made  as  in  the  case  of  meat  inspection.  France,  Germany, 
and  other  countries  will  not  accept  from  us  a  pound  of  meat  that  has 
not  been  inspected  before  leaving  here,  and  if  we  can  do  that  satisfac- 
torily here  it  can  be  done  there  in  the  matter  of  nursery  stock. 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  The  Government  would  not  employ  any  but  honest 
and  responsible  men  to  do  this  work.  They  would  not  be  unreason- 
able. The  committee  believe  that  this  inspection  would  be  eifective. 
We  believe  also  that  it  would  be  difficult.  We  do  not  yet  know  all  the 
details  necessary.  We  believe  the  men  who  represent  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  are  fully  capable  of  meeting  and  mastering  the  case. 
These  difficulties  are  not  insurmountable.  I  wish  to  make  the  point  of 
order  that  this  matter  has  already  been  passed  upon.  Section  3  does 
not  provide  for  inspection. 

Section  3  was  then  adopted  without  amendment. 

Section  4  was  read  and  adopted  without  discussion  or  amendment. 

Section  5  was  then  read  and  was  discussed  as  follows: 

Mr.  BISSELL.  Would  it  not  be  feasible  to  interpolate  the  word  *<  fruit"  ? 
It  seems  to  me  a  great  deal  of  danger  lies  in  the  spread  of  the  San 
Jose  scale  in  that  way,  and  if  feasible  we  might  require  persons  to  have 
orchards  inspected  so  that  stock  could  be  shipped  without  any  trouble 
at  all.  Compel  them  to  clean  up  the  premises.  I  think  it  would  be 
perfectly  proper.  It  would  not  be  a  hard  thing  to  do  and  would  c  er- 
tainly  prevent  spread  to  a  large  extent. 

Mr.  POWELL.  In  regard  to  the  shipment  of  scions  or  buds,  how  can 
the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  get  at  the  farmers  scattered  all  over  the 
country  who  simply  send  away  a  few  cuttings  or  buds?  How  can  these 
little  sendings  be  regulated? 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         27 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  Section  8  provides  that  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture 
can  compel  the  inspection  and  treatment  of  shipments  from  private 
individuals,  but  I  do  not  think  we  should  leave  the  bars  open  to  send 
stock  through  the  mail. 

Mr.  BISSELL.  I  move  that  we  interpolate  the  word  "fruit"  after  the 
word  "  scions."  We  certainly  should  be  consistent  and  protect  our- 
selves against  each  other. 

Mr.  POWELL.  I  can  not  see  how  that  will  cover  all  these  questions. 
If  we  depend  on  individual  certificate  it  does  not  amount  to  anything. 
Every  entomologist  receives  specimens  of  katydid  eggs  sent  in  for 
San  Jose  scale  from  farmers  who  want  to  know  if  they  should  begin  to 
spray  for  the  scale.  If  we  rely  on  certificates  from  farmers  and  fruit 
growers  who  can  not  tell  the  difference  between  a  katydid  egg  and  the 
San  Jose  scale  we  shall  not  be  very  well  off. 

Mr.  HOOKER.  As  I  understand  it,  by  the  regulations  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  Agriculture,  persons  sending  out  cuttings,  scions,  etc.,  would  be 
required  to  give  them  proper  treatment  before  sending  them  out.  That, 
of  course,  would  involve  fumigation,  no  matter  what  kind  of  an  insect 
was  on  them,  and  it  would  be  destroyed. 

Mr.  BARRY.  If  Mr.  Alwood,  for  instance,  sent  to  me  for  a  small 
quantity  of  stock,  would  I  have  to  get  somebody  to  examine  it  first? 

Mr.  POWELL.  Get  authority  to  treat  it. 

Mr.  BARRY.  Would  I  have  to  get  a  certificate  from  somebody?  If  I 
would  have  to  go  to  all  that  trouble  I  would  not  fill  the  order.  I  would 
simply  tell  Mr.  Alwood  that  the  goods  were  not  in  stock. 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  It  is  quite  easy  to  reduce  discussion  to  the  absurd. 
The  committee  realized  how  difficult  it  would  be  to  make  this  measure 
perfect.  It  is  not  perfect.  Many  absurd  things  will  come  up  in  every- 
thing we  undertake.  I  know  that  this  individual  treatment  is  not  diffi- 
cult. I  know  Mr.  Hood,  of  my  State,  is  doing  it  under  my  direction. 
It  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  fumigate.  Regulations  properly  drawn  up 
will  permit  individuals  to  fumigate  in  the  best  manner  known. 

Mr.  BARRY.  I  was  not  joking  about  this  individual  case.  It  may 
look  absurd,  but  supposing  we  receive  from  the  experiment  stations 
similar  orders  (and  for  a  number  of  years  we  have  been  furnishing 
experiment  stations  all  over  the  country  with  scions)  sent  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year.  Can  we  procure  a  blanket  form  from  the  authorities  to  do 
that  kind  of  thing?  If  we  could  not  it  would  be  foolish  to  attempt 
to  send  any. 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  Under  this  law  regulations  may  be  made  to  provide 
for  this  case  with  the  utmost  ease.  The  Secretary  of  Agriculture  can 
draw  up  regulations  for  that  very  thing.  It  is  not  difficult  to  treat 
insects.  It  is  very  simple.  It  may  be  done  in  a  few  minutes.  I  did 
not  think  you  meant  to  be  absurd.  Your  remark  created  a  laugh,  and 
it  is  easy  to  laugh  at  anything.  The  committee  struggled  with  this 
matter  a  great  deal. 


28        SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

Section  5  was  then  adopted  without  amendment. 

Section  G  was  read  and  was  adopted  without  discussion  or  amendment. 

Section  7  was  then  read  and  was  discussed  as  follows: 

Mr.  TAYLOR.  Does  this  prevent  the  mailing-  of  infested  scions  or 
plants? 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  That  question  has  been  asked  a  number  of  times  and 
the  committee  had  it  under  consideration. 

Mr.  TAYLOR.  As  I  understand  it,  transportation  by  mail  is  not 
transportation  by  an  individual  or  corporation,  but  transportation  by 
the  United  States  Government. 

Mr.  HOWARD.  After  the  words  "  delivery  to  any  person  or  persons" 
add  "or  to  the  United  States  postal  service."  I  think  this  would 
obviate  the  difficulty. 

Mr.  WAITE.  Can  specimens  be  sent  to  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture  for  identification1? 

Mr.  WARDELL.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  word  transportation 
should  be  given  a  liberal  construction,  so  that  we  can  avoid  making  a, 
lengthy  addition  to  the  bill.  1  believe  it  is  covered  in  the  bill,  which 
reads,  "  transportation  by  any  person  or  persons."  The  postmaster  is 
a  person  or  a  thing,  but  should  be  a  person. 

Mr.  TAYLOR.  My  object  in  asking  the  question  was  that  the  next 
section  provides  a  penalty.  Is  the  postmaster  to  be  fined? 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  We  do  not  know  how  to  deal  with  the  Government. 
The  Secretary  of  Agriculture  can  not  deal  with  the  Postmaster 
General. 

Mr.  BEACH.  Some  matters  must  be  modified.  It  seems  to  me  that 
having  expressed  our  opinions  on  this  matter  we  can  simply  leave  it  to 
the  authorities  to  adjust  according  to  their  ideas. 

Mr.  VAN  DEMAN.  Let  me  say  that  a  great  many  specimens  are  mailed 
that  must  necessarily  be  infested  with  living  organisms  in  order  to  be 
of  any  value  to  the  scientists  who  receive  them.  I  move  that  we  add 
the  words  "except  for  scientific  purposes." 

The  CHAIRMAN.  The  question  is  on  the  insertion  of  the  words  "to 
the  United  States  postal  service  for  scientific  purposes." 

Mr.  BEACH.  It  seems  to  me  if  we  designate  officials  of  the  Govern- 
ment we  are  doing  injustice  to  other  scientists.  Let  us  leave  this 
matter  to  the  discretion  of  the  committee,  having  expressed  our  views 
on  the  matter. 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  Allow  me  to  say  that  this  is  a  matter  you  have  already 
provided  for  by  leaving  it  in  the  hands  of  the  committee.  I  think  if 
you  will  leave  it  to  the  committee  they  will  provide  for  that  matter. 

Mr.  TAYLOR.  I  wish  for  my  own  information  to  inquire  as  to  whether 
the  committee  considers  that  the  section  as  worded  would  prevent 
private  parties  from  taking  scions  from  their  farms  in  one  State  to 
their  farms  in  another  State  without  inspection  and  whether  they  would 
be  liable  to  a  penalty. 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT   DISEASES.         29 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  We  do  not  intend  that  any  man  should  be  favored 
because  he  owns  two  farms. 

Mr.  TAYLOR.  The  question  is  if  trees  are  uninvested,  not  infested. 

The  CHAIRMAN.  Mr.  Taylor's  question  is  a  good  one  and  ought  to  be 
considered  by  the  committee. 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  How  can  we  make  exceptions  to  regulations?  We 
can  not  cover  this  in  a  bill. 

Mr.  TAYLOR.  I  wish  to  be  clear  on  one  point  before  the  matter 
passes.  Is  it  the  understanding  of  the  committee  that  a  private  indi- 
vidual would  be  subject  to  penalty  for  carrying  uninfested  stock? 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  It  is. 

Mr.  TAYLOR.  I  am  not  a  lawyer,  but  this  is  unprecedented  in  Federal 
legislation.  The  State  could  refuse  to  admit  stock  inspected  by  the 
Federal  authorities,  but  this,  in  my  opinion,  is  a  distinct  encroachment 
upon  rights  and  opens  an  entirely  new  line  of  legislation. 

Mr.  ALWOOD.  The  United  States  laws  would  not  uphold  such  a  law. 
We  are  not  lawyers,  but  the  distinct  declaration  of  the  bill  is  that  it 
deals  solely  with  interstate  commerce. 

Section  7  was  then  adopted  without  amendment. 

Section  8  was  read  and  adopted  without  amendment. 

The  preamble  was  read  and  adopted  without  amendment. 

The  bill  was  then  adopted  as  a  whole  and  read  as  follows: 

BILL  RELATING  TO  INTERSTATE  AND  INTERNATIONAL  LEGISLATION  AGAINST  INSECT 

AND  FUNGOUS  PESTS. 

AX  ACT  to  provide  for  the  inspection  and  treatment  of  trees,  plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions, 
nursery  stock,  and  fruit  imported  into  the  United  States,  and  for  the  inspection  and  treatment  of 
trees,  plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions,  and  nursery  stock  grown  within  the  United  States  which 
becomes  a  subject  of  interstate  commerce. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of  America 
in  Congress  assembled: 

SECTION  1.  That  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  be,  and  is  hereby,  authorized,  at  the 
expense  of  the  owuer  or  owners,  to  place  and  retain  in  quarantine  all  trees,  plants, 
buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions,  nursery  stock,  and  fruit  imported  into  the  I  Inited  States 
at  such  ports  as  he  may  designate  for  such  purposes  and  under  such  conditions  as 
he  may,  by  regulation,  prescribe,  and  that  he  may  appoint  inspectors  for  the  purpose 
of  examining  such  trees,  plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions,  nursery  stock,  and 
fruit  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  they  are  affected  by  any  dangerously 
injurious  insect  or  disease,  the  importation  of  which  will  be  prejudicial  to  the  horti- 
cultural interests  of  the  United  States,  and  provide  for  the  treatment  of  such  when 
found  necessary. 

SEC.  2.  That  when  such  trees,  plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions,  nursery  stock, 
and  fruit  shall  be  determined  to  bo  infested  with  any  dangerously  injurious  insect 
or  disease  they  shall  be  treated  at  the  expense  of  the  owner  or  owners  in  accordance 
with  the  regulations  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  or  they  shall  be  destroyed  in 
case  their  condition  is  such  as  to  warrant  such  destruction  ;  but  an  appeal  may  be 
taken  from  the  decision  of  the  inspector  to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  -if  such 
appeal  be  taken  within  three  days  after  such  inspection,  and  the  decision  of  the 
Secretary  of  Agriculture  shall  be  final. 


30        SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES. 

SEC.  3.  That  when  such  inspection  shall  show  that  such  trees,  plants,  buds,  cut- 
tings, grafts,  scions,  nursery  stock,  or  fruit  are  apparently  free  from  dangerously 
injurious  insects  or  diseases,  a  certificate  to  this  effect,  made  in  accordance  with  the 
regulations  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  shall  be  issued  to  the  owner  or  owners 
thereof  by  the  said  inspector,  and  this  certificate  shall  operate  to  release  all  the 
objects  above  specified,  Avheu  duly  stamped  or  labeled  Avith  the  same,  from  further 
quarantine  or  restriction  either  at  the  said  port  of  entry  or  in  interstate  commerce. 
Any  person  who  shall  forge,  counterfeit,  or  knowingly  alter,  deface,  or  destroy  any 
of  the  marks,  stamps,  or  certificates  provided  for  in  the  regulations  of  the  Secretary 
of  Agriculture  on  any  such  trees,  plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions,  nursery 
stock,  or  fruit,  or  who  shall  forge,  counterfeit,  or  knowingly  and  wrongfully  alter, 
deface,  or  destroy  any  certificate  as  provided  for  in  said  regulations,  shall  be  deemed 
guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  on  conviction  thereof  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  not 
to  exceed  five  hundred  dollars  or  imprisonment  not  to  exceed  one  year,  or  both,  at 
the  discretion  of  the  court. 

SEC.  4.  That  whenever  it  shall  appear  to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  that  any 
foreign  country  shall  have  provided  proper  and  competent  inspection  and  treatment, 
in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  for  the  objects  above  specified  as  being 
subject  to  inspection  and  treatment,  he  may,  by  proclamation  or  otherwise,  accept 
such  inspection  and  treatment  in  lieu  of  inspection  performed  by  officers  appointed 
by  himself,  which  acceptation  or  proclamation  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  shall 
relieve  all  such  articles  specified  in  the  foregoing  sections  of  this  act,  when  properly 
stamped  or  labeled,  from  further  quarantine  or  restrictions. 

SEC.  5.  That  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  shall  cause  to  be  inspected  and  properly 
treated,  at  the  expense  of  the  owner  or  owners,  prior  to  their  shipment,  all  trees, 
plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions,  and  nursery  stock  which  are  subjects  of  inter- 
state commerce  and  which  are  about  to  be  transported  from  one  State  or  Territory 
or  the  District  of  Columbia  into  another  State  or  Territory  or  the  District  of 
Columbia. 

SEC.  6.  That  the  said  examination  shall  be  made  in  the  manner  provided  for  by 
the  rules  and  regulations  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  and  that  after 
such  examination  the  trees,  plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions,  or  nursery  stock 
found  to  bo  apparently  free  from  dangerously  injurious  insects  or  diseases  shall  be 
marked,  stamped,  or  labeled  for  identification,  as  may  be  provided  for  by  said  rules 
and  regulations  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  and  when  so  stamped  or  labeled 
they  shall  not  be  subject  to  further  quarantine  or  restriction  in  interstate  commerce. 
Any  person  who  shall  forge,  counterfeit,  or  knowingly  alter,  deface,  or  destroy  any 
of  the  marks,  stamps,  or  said  devices  provided  for  in  the  regulations  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  Agriculture  on  any  such  trees,  plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  serous,  and 
nursery  stock,  or  who  shall  i'orge,  counterfeit,  or  knowingly  or  wrongfully  alter, 
deface,  or  destroy  any  certificate  provided  for  in  said  regulations,  shall  be  deemed 
guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  on  conviction  thereof  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  not 
exceeding  five  hundred  dollars  or  imprisonment  not  exceeding  one  year,  or  by  both 
such  punishments,  at  the  discretion  of  the  court. 

SEC.  7.  That  it  shall  be  unhiAvful  for  any  person,  persons,  or  corporation  to  trans- 
port from  one  State  or  Territory  or  the  District  of  Columbia,  or  for  any  person,  per- 
sons, or  corporation,  to  deliver  to  any  other  person,  persons,  or  corporation,  or  to  the 
postal  service  of  the  United  States,  except  for  scientific  purposes,  by  permission  or 
direction  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  for  transportation  from  one  State  or  Terri- 
tory or  the  District  of  Columbia  into  any  other  State  or  Territory  or  the  District  of 
Columbia  any  trees,  plants,  buds,  cuttings,  grafts,  scions,  or  nursery  stock  which 
have  not  been  examined  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  in  sections  5  and  6  of 
this  act,  or  which  on  said  examination  have  been  declared  by  the  inspector  to  be  dan- 
gerously infested  with  injurious  insects  or  diseases.  Any  person,  persons,  or  corpo- 
ration violating  the  provisions  of  this  section  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and 


SUPPRESSION    OF    INSECT    PESTS    AND    PLANT    DISEASES.         31 

upon  conviction  thereof  shall  be  punished  for  such  offense  as  provided  in  section  6 
of  this  act. 

SEC.  8.  That  whenever  it  shall  appear  to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  that  any 
State,  Territory,  district,  corporation,,  firm,  or  person  shall  have  provided  proper 
and  competent  inspection  and  treatment  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this 
act  for  the  objects  above  specified  as  being  subject  to  inspection  and  treatment,  he 
may,  by  proclamation  or  otherwise,  accept  such  inspection  and  treatment  in  lieu  of 
inspection  and  treatment  by  officers  appointed  by  himself,  which  acceptation  or 
proclamation  by  the  said  Secretary  of  Agriculture  shall  relieve  all  such  articles 
specified  in  sections  5,  6,  and  7  of  this  act,  when  properly  stamped  or  labeled,  from 
further  quarantine  or  restrictions  in  interstate  commerce. 

SEC.  9.  That  the  sum  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  or  so  much  thereof  as  may  be  neces- 
sary, is  hereby  appropriated,  out  of  any  moneys  in  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States 
not  otherwise  appropriated,  to  carry  into  effect  the  provisions  of  tins  act. 

SEC.  10.  This  law  shall  take  effect  on  and  after  the  first  day  of  July,  1897. 

It  was  voted  that  the  committee  on  legislation  be  made  a  committee 
on  ways  and  means,  and,  further,  that  each  member  of  the  convention 
contribute  $1  to  defray  the  necessary  expenses  of  the  convention. 

Upon  motion  of  Mr.  Powell,  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  was  extended 
to  the  proprietor  of  the  Ebbitt  House  for  his  courtesy  in  providing  a 
room  for  the  use  of  the  convention. 

Upon  motion  of  Mr.  Barry,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  extended  to  those 
who  read  papers  before  the  convention,  to  the  officers  in  charge  of  the 
convention,  and  to  the  Ohio  Horticultural  Society  for  issuing  the  call 
for  the  convention. 

A  committee,  consisting  of  H.  E.  Yan  Deman,  S.  L.  Lupton,  and  M. 
J.  Daniels,  was  appointed  to  wait  upon  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture 
and  request  him  to  publish  the  proceedings  of  the  convention  as  a 
special  bulletin. 

The  convention  then  adjourned. 

•   ;  :\;  i  \/  ;  LESLEY  WEBB, 

„.;-,'*'  M.  J.  DANIELS, 

I  ,  Y-«  I     °  '*  •  ;*••;  *v  *  -Yr  Secretaries. 

SESSION  OF  THE  PERMANENT  LEGISLATIVE  COMMITTEE. 

The  permanent  legislative  committee  met  immediately  on  adjourn- 
ment of  the  convention  and  elected  the  following  executive  committee: 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

W.  B.  Alwood,  Blacksburg,  Va.,  chairman. 
F.  M.  Webster,  Wooster,  Ohio,  secretary. 
E.  M.  Wardell,  Los  Angeles,  Gal. 
J.  H.  Hale,  South  Glastonbury,  Conn. 
C.  M.  Hobbs,  Bridgeport,  Iiid. 


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